Why It’s Remarkably Rare for Elephants to Give Birth to Twins

How rare is it for elephants to birth twins? Find out more about this occurrence in the wild and why it's significant.

By Sean Mowbray
Dec 18, 2024 2:00 PM
Baby elephant twins eating in the wild with their mother
(Credit: Stu Porter/Shutterstock)

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In June 2024, an Asian elephant in central Thailand gave birth to a set of twins. The event was considered a miracle, since elephant twins are a fleetingly rare occurrence.

Jamjuree, a 36-year-old elephant, birthed two calves — a girl and a boy. It’s the first official record of elephant twins of different genders born in Thailand. According to a statement, the shock of birthing a second calf sent the mother into a panicked frenzy.

Rare Elephant Twins

Elephants have the longest gestation period of any mammal on Earth today. African elephants, for example, carry their young for 22 months. Asian elephants, meanwhile, average anywhere between 18 and 22 months. While the birth of twins is quite rare amongst elephants, twin calves of different genders is considered even more of a rarity.

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