What is it about “baby”animals ? ??

Me too, but it was yesterday. We’re having the Gdcs for 3 days next week so I think Whipsnade is definitely on the cards!

Well, it’s ‘baby anything’ really, isn’t it?

Human babies, puppies, kittens, foals, lambs, calves, owls,……

The big eyes, the soft skin, fur, whatever, adorable ears…..

Shame we grow up and some of us, not all, lose this cuteness.

Witzend we used to live near Whipsnade. My GDs loved it, we went many many times. Have a lovely time

There is a German word for this. It's called "Welpenschutz" - literally "puppy protection". It is an instinct that nearly all animals (including humans) have to nurture newborn and helpless beings regardless of race or kind. You often hear of cross-species mothering among domestic animals sometimes even between birds and mammals (accompanied by cute pictures in the paper). One of the nicer sides of nature!

Anyone know what they're going to call the baby elephant?

Beautiful picture, I love elephants. And how wonderful for mum Donna, who lost her last calf about 2 years ago (I think).

I love elephants. Does anyone remember the tv series about Echo that followed Echo and her family over several decades? There was one episode where one of the babies was kidnapped by another herd of elephants and they went and rescued her. And one baby was born with deformed legs but it was because of the way that, as a large baby, he had been lying in the womb and fire a while the problem resolved itself.

www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwigxtaKluL5AhUJiFwKHRLqBnwQtwJ6BAgIEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DH5y8-gSkoek&usg=AOvVaw1ke800qnGYNkLVjPm3Bhmd

Baby elephants just look impossible. They are such perfect miniatures of the adults.

I remember seeing a video on some site quite a while ago of an elephant in an Indian village. The rest of the herd had left but this female elephant stayed and kept digging in the same spot. After a while the villagers lured her away and went to see what was going on. They dug down a bit and found a very young elephant that had fallen down a hole and been covered. The female obviously couldn't dig down far enough but somehow the villagers managed to hoist the baby out and mum and baby went on their way.

Lovely picture MawtheMerrier

I agree, it's the cuteness and helplessness that brings out the protective instincts.

I hope the baby elephant thrives.

MayBee70 I watched the trailer, but don't know if I could bear to watch the whole film. The mother elephant's tears over the dead baby...

My son and his friend/wife/baby are at Whipsnade today, despite the inclement weather. We live nearby and have annual passes, so go often. We joke about there being "invisible" lynx and "invisible" otters, so he sent me a photograph of the lynx today to "prove" it does actually exist.

I thanked him, but badgered him for photographs of the new baby elephant, which he duly sent. She is gorgeous.

I finish work at 2pm on Fridays, so I will be visiting tomorrow, to see her for myself.

She looks so teeny - relatively speaking, of course!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202208/medium-364618-8834edf8-267a-4fbf-91c8-2b91ce0eb16c.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202208/medium-102220-4821e685-c455-433f-b387-babdd8e33f4f.jpeg

I see baby donkeys and ponies in the New Forest, I love them.

Rosie51

MayBee70 I watched the trailer, but don't know if I could bear to watch the whole film. The mother elephant's tears over the dead baby...

Some of it is heartbreaking. One of Echo’s daughters was poisoned. They were about to migrate to where there was better food and she was torn between staying with her daughter and moving the herd but she realised the health of the herd was paramount. When they returned they paid their respects to their departed family member and were visibly distressed. But it followed Echo and all of her family for decades, both the females that stayed with her and the males who set off to lead independent lives. I think Echo lived well into her sixties. I’m welling up just thinking about her! She was a truly wonderful creature and it was a ground breaking series. When it was still being made and Echo was still with us I used to sometimes think of her all those mikes away looking after her herd.

suep1953

I see baby donkeys and ponies in the New Forest, I love them.

Oh dear! Was the laying down donkey ok? I adore donkeys

DanniRae

suep1953

I see baby donkeys and ponies in the New Forest, I love them.

Oh dear! Was the laying down donkey ok? I adore donkeys

Just having a rest

Beautiful baby elephant pic Maw I love all the baby animal pics and stories. Not so much the human babies.

sodapop

Beautiful baby elephant pic Maw I love all the baby animal pics and stories. Not so much the human babies.

You and me both!

?Blondiescot think we may be in a minority on hers.