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Journalism of Courage
Childbirth is nothing short of a miracle — a moment that shows the strength of a mother and the deep bond she shares with her baby, even before birth. This feeling transcends species, as seen in a heartwarming video shared by Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Parveen Kaswan, which is striking a chord with social media users.
The now-viral clip shows a female elephant, initially struggling to stand, walking away in the rain with her newborn calf, barely an hour after giving birth. The video also captures heavy rain in the forest. “An unsteady walk, as the calf just came into the world. Elephant calves start walking within 1-2 hour of birth. In wild they have to be mobile, necessary for survival,” the caption read.
Watch here:
The post quickly gained traction, with several users hailing the “nature’s miracle.”
“Miracle of nature! No C section!” a user wrote. “A wobbly first walk, mobility is crucial for survival,” another user commented.
According to Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA), a UK-based animal welfare organisation, African elephants are pregnant for up to 22 months, while Asian elephants — like the one in the video — carry for 18 to 22 months. At birth, calves can weigh up to 122 kg and stand nearly 3 feet tall. On average, elephants give birth once every two years.
This is not the first time an elephant birth has gone viral. Just last month, a video of an elephant giving birth near railway tracks in Jharkhand left the Internet stunned. In a rare and moving sight, a train was seen halting at a safe distance and waiting patiently for the elephant to deliver her calf.
Sharing the moment on X, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav wrote: “Beyond the news of human-animal conflicts, happy to share this example of human-animal harmonious existence. A train in Jharkhand waited for two hours as an elephant delivered her calf. The video shows how the two later walked on happily.”
