A rare endangered elephant calf has been born at Blackpool zoo after a pregnancy that nearly lasted two years.

Tara the elephant gave birth to an Asian elephant calf earlier this month after years of strategic planning to navigate the challenges of pregnancy, birth and the postnatal care of a rare species.

At just over three weeks old, the new baby Zaiya, which means strength, is the first successful female elephant birth to occur at Blackpool Zoo.

The meticulous preperation meant that, when the baby was born and had difficulty suckling, experts were abvle to act quickly to provide vital support for the first-time mum and the baby.

Since the birth the keepers have provided 24-hour monitoring and support and will continue to do so in the coming months, with the indoor house being closed recently to allow the herd the privacy to develop crucial bonds with its newest member.

It is set to gradually reopen from Saturday (September 27) between 11.30am and 2.30pm.

Adam Kenyon, Section Manager at Blackpool Zoo, is overjoyed to welcome the new arrival. He said: “This is an exceptionally proud and emotional moment for everyone involved.

“The team have displayed extreme dedication and commitment in creating both a suitable environment and extremely strong bonds with all the elephants in order to provide the best possible care.

“This meant that we were able to identify, very quickly, the challenges the baby had in struggling to feed and we were able to obtain and provide it with the colostrum from Tara. This was critical for the calf as she needs it to develop a strong immune system.

“Despite continued efforts Zaiya has not yet successfully suckled from mum but, due to the design of the facility and strategic planning, she is able to remain with the herd, receive nutritional support from the team and develop naturally.

“Complex social structures within elephant herds mean that all the females help to care for the young of other elephants, which is vital for the development of calves and the group as a whole and it is wonderful to see this happening in this instance.

“It’s been a long journey from when we first started to explore the possibility of creating a strong multigenerational herd here in Blackpool and, although it is still early days, this successful birth is a testament to the expertise and commitment of our team and the support that we’ve received from elephant specialists worldwide.”

Tara, who arrived in Blackpool from Twycross Zoo in 2018, has played a major role in the creation of a multi-generational herd of Asian elephants, who have been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1986 with populations estimated to have declined by at least 50% over the last three generations.

Darren Webster, Zoo Director, added: “The birth of this calf is a truly historic moment for Blackpool Zoo. It represents the culmination of years of prudent planning and collaboration across multiple sectors and marks the beginning of another chapter in our continued commitment to the Asian elephant herd at Blackpool Zoo.

“This achievement further reinforces our dedication to the conservation of all endangered species and I could not be prouder of our team.”