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Sumatran elephant

Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus), the most threatened of the three Asian elephant subspecies, listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. It has lost about 69% of its habitat in three decades. Madrid keeps the only Sumatran elephants in the EAZA European programme, and in August 2026 the herd went from n to n + 1.

Profile of the baby elephant's head, hairy and dusted with sand, trunk hanging down, a mesh fence behind
Resolution. At six weeks, an Asian elephant calf is covered in fine hair. Up close, the skin is a landscape.37723-6604Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
Baby elephant lying on its side with a front foot resting over its trunk, eye open towards the camera
Observer effect. Lying down, fully relaxed, and still keeping one eye on the photographer.37723-3477Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
Close-up of the baby elephant's head under a shower of water drops, mouth open
Cooling system. Elephants barely sweat, so water, mud and big ears do the job. Today, the water came from above.37723-1069Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
Baby elephant propped on a front leg in the sand, trunk curled towards its mouth, an adult's leg behind
Initial value problem. Getting up is easy once you know where your legs are. He’s still collecting data.37723-9158Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
Baby elephant kneeling on a rock ledge beneath an adult, trunk stretched down to the stone
Support. Knees on the ground, trunk on the stone, an adult overhead. Redundancy is a sound engineering principle.37723-5337Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
Baby elephant walking in profile with its trunk stretched forward, a red post behind
Work in progress. A trunk has tens of thousands of muscle bundles, and calves take months to master it. For now, it mostly swings.37723-9207Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
Baby elephant walking beneath the body of an adult, trunk curled towards the ground
Ratio. 21 months of gestation and, when we met him, about six weeks outside. Roughly fifteen to one, and falling every day.37723-5334Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
Baby elephant lying on its side in the dirt, trunk curled over its face
Rotation. Stability tested along every axis. Result: inconclusive, delightful.37723-7421Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
Close-up of the baby elephant lying down, covered in mud, mouth open as if smiling
Sunscreen, applied generously. Elephants coat themselves in mud and dust to protect their skin from sun and insects. He’s still working out the dosage.37723-7210Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
Baby Sumatran elephant standing between the legs of an adult elephant
Scale factor. Six weeks old, and still small enough to fit under an adult. That ceiling won’t last.37723-4040Zoo Aquarium de Madrid

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