Elephant Does Maternity Exercises

A 20-year-old elephant was taken through a series of maternity stretches in her pen ahead of her pregnancy. Panang, who is nearing the end of her two-year gestation period, was guided by her minder Andi Fries at the Tierpark Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich.

The elephant, who is due this month or next, has been pregnant twice before, but both calves were stillborn, a common problem among elephants. Babies can sometimes become stuck between the womb and the pelvis. Some elephants have even been found to have carrief mummified fetal remains in their wombs for years.

In order to help Panang, she was taken through a series of stretching and strengthening exercise, designed to make sure her calf does not grow too big in the womb, as well as help her buld up muscles she will need during labour.

An elephant’s gestation period is typically 22 months, the longest of any mammal.

(source)