PREVIEW

Blackpool Zoo’s elephants’ pregnancies have been revealed using an unusual method - edible glitter that comes through into their poo.
In order to successfully identify individual dung samples for hormone analysis, staff came up with the idea of giving each elephant a different coloured edible glitter.
Once consumed it appears in their faeces, allowing keepers to track which dung belongs to whom.
And the samples revealed that both mum and daughter, Noorjahan and Esha, are pregnant and due to give birth to the calves in late 2024.
The samples were collected twice a week and sent to a cutting-edge research laboratory at Chester Zoo. Analysis at the laboratory confirmed both the pregnancies in late March (2024) .
The calves will be the first to be born at Blackpool Zoo in its 52-year history.
Adam Kenyon, section head at Blackpool Zoo said: “This announcement is a historic moment for Blackpool Zoo and it is testament to an incredible amount of work that has taken place over the last decade.
“We will be closely monitoring Noorjahan and Esha in the coming months and while all indications currently point to healthy pregnancies, there are inherent risks.
“We look forward to keeping everyone up to date with their progress before hopefully welcoming two new additions to the herd later this year,” he added.
Asian elephants typically carry their young for 18 to 22 months. Newborn Asian elephant calves weigh approximately 100kg and can stand and walk within their first hour.
"The recent news of the two pregnancies within Blackpool Zoo's elephant herd is truly magnificent,” added Jeroen Kappelhof, species coordinator for the Asian elephant European Ex Situ Programme (EEP). “It signifies a huge milestone in their development of a multi-generational herd, which will provide a wealth of learning opportunities for its inhabitants.”
Base Camp, which is Blackpool Zoo’s largest ever single investment, combines the UK’s largest indoor elephant house with several outdoor habitats, all of which were designed to support the complicated needs of Asian elephants.
Asian elephants have been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1986 and the population is estimated to have declined by at least 50 percent over the last three generations, which means that EEPs serve as a crucial lifeline for ensuring the survival of the species.