Elephant fans tune into online birthing site

Thousands of elephant fans have registered on an online site promising live footage of the first birth of an elephant in Belgium.

Surfers logging on to www.baby-olifant.be can already watch the baby’s kicks inside the belly of its mother, Phyo Phyo, an Asian elephant at the Antwerp zoo.

Zoo caretakers are also offering daily updates on Phyo Phyo’s pregnancy to the site’s 18 000 subscribers—who will receive an SMS message 48 hours ahead of the expected delivery.

Those interested in elephant trivia can also learn about the animal’s legendary memory, the weight of a newborn (between 80kg to 120kg ) or the time it takes for an elephant to learn how to use its trunk (six months).

Antwerp’s mayor has promised to inscribe the calf’s name on the city’s official birth registrar.—AFP