Arun, a male Asian Elephant calf born at Ueno Zoo on October 31, 2020, is growing well.
Asian Elephant mother and calf, "Uthai" and "Arun" (Date of photo: January 13, 2021)
Ueno Zoo is temporarily closed for the time being, but Arun is growing up healthy and strong, seemingly unfazed by the quieter atmosphere inside the zoo (see here for information on the temporary closure).
Except on days with bad weather, the pups move to the outdoor space adjacent to the animal enclosure with their mother, Utai, to sunbathe. They sleep well, play well, and we've started to observe them running around Utai, sucking up water with their noses, and trying to pick up things.
On January 14th, its height was measured at 108 cm, which is 8 cm larger than when it was born.
[Video] Audio is available.
Added on January 31, 2021: Arun goes to the outdoor enclosure for the first time!
On Tuesday, January 26, 2021, taking advantage of the quiet environment during the temporary closure of the zoo, Asian Elephant mother and calf Uthai and Arun were allowed out into the outdoor enclosure for the first time.
The two females, Daya and Surya, who normally use this area, were returned to their enclosure, and Arun and his offspring spent time alone under the watchful eyes of animal keeper. It was Arun's first time in this place, but both mother and offspring remained calm, and the session lasted about 30 minutes.
Lately, Arun had started to play by himself, away from Utai, but this time, he stayed right by Utai's side and refused to leave.
We will continue practicing letting them out into the outdoor enclosure, taking into account the weather and the condition of the parents and offspring.
Asian Elephant mother and calf Uthai and Arun go out into the outdoor enclosure. (Date of photo: January 26, 2021)
[Video] Audio is available.
Update on February 16, 2021: Arun is currently practicing being released into the open air!
Uthai and Arun, the mother and Asian Elephant, made their first appearance in the outdoor enclosure on Tuesday, January 26, 2021, and have continued practicing going out into the outdoor enclosure ever since. This time, we'll tell you about their progress.
When we opened the door a little after 1:40 PM on Thursday, February 11th, the mother and cub came out looking calm. In the gentle sunlight, we observed Uthai leisurely eating green grass, while Arun seemed to be playing by himself.
When Utai starts moving, she still snuggles up close, but she seems more relaxed than the first time, which may be a sign of the practice she's been doing.
We will continue practicing while keeping an eye on the weather and how the parents and children are doing.
Uthai and Arun, a mother Asian Elephant in the outdoor enclosure (Date of photo: February 11, 2021)
[Video] Audio is available.
Added on February 28, 2021: Arun is also practicing weighing himself!
Asian Elephant mother and calf, Uthai and Arun, began practicing getting on the weighing scale installed in their enclosure on Saturday, February 20, 2021.
Arun was reluctant to get on the scale, but on Wednesday, February 24th, he finally agreed to have his weight measured with Utai for the first time! He weighed 260kg, an increase of 140kg since birth.
Also, Uthai has increasingly been giving mischievous Arun some educational guidance with his nose and feet. Arun calms down a little when he's scolded, but he quickly starts running around energetically again, and Uthai seems to be having his hands full (with his nose?).
Asian Elephant mother and calf Uthai and Arun practice weighing themselves. (Date of photo: February 24, 2021)
[Video] Audio is available.
March 20, 2021 Update: Arun is also practicing living outdoors with Surya.
Starting on Monday, March 15, 2021, we began practicing cohabitation by putting Arun and the female "Suriya" together in the outdoor enclosure.
Arun and Surya first met on November 24, 2020. They continued to meet through a fence, and on March 15, the mother, cub, and Surya were allowed to live together in the outdoor enclosure for the first time. Surya showed interest in Arun, but also seemed bewildered by Arun's energetic movements.
The 45-minute practice session was supervised by animal keeper, but it seems it will take a little more time before all three animals can be publicly displayed together in the enclosure. We will continue practicing cohabitation while observing the animals' behavior.
From left to right: Surya, Arun, Utai (Date of photo: March 15, 2021)
[Video] Audio is available.
March 31, 2021 Update: Arun's weight has reached 300kg!
Arun began practicing weighing himself on February 20th. He can now get on the scale by himself. However, while Uthai stands still on the scale when instructed by animal keeper, Arun walks on it while being weighed. On Monday, March 29th, his weight reached 300kg for the first time! That's an increase of 40kg compared to February 24th. The weighing is done during his cohabitation practice with Surya (see the update from March 20th above).
Arun gets on the weighing scale (Date of photo: March 30, 2021)
(January 14, 2021) (January 31, 2021: Added an update on my current situation) (February 3, 2021: Updated information regarding the temporary closure period) (February 16, 2021: Updated with current status) (February 28, 2021: Updated with current status) (March 6, 2021: Updated information regarding the temporary closure period) (March 20, 2021: Updated with current status) (March 31, 2021: Updated with current status) (April 19, 2021: Added a link to the page showing recent updates from April onwards)
