Rare set of elephant twins born in Kenya: 'Amazing odds!'

A conservation group said an elephant in Kenya gave birth to a rare set of twins on Friday. The twins, both female, were born in the Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya to a mother named Alto, according to Save the Elephants. 

A video posted to social media by the group, showed the baby elephants feeding from their mother, alongside other members of the herd with the caption: "Amazing odds!"

Twins make up only about one percent of elephant births. Elephants have the largest gestation period of any living mammal, carrying their young for nearly 22 months, and giving birth roughly every four years.

Elephant twins don’t usually have the best outcomes. In 2022, an elephant named Bora gave birth to twins in the Samburu National Reserve. 

"Bora's twins (male and female) were born during one of the worst droughts but despite her excellent mothering skills, the female twin sadly died," Save the Elephants said in a Facebook post.

But they’re hopeful about Alto’s twins. 

"Elephant twins rarely survive in the wild but we're optimistic about Alto's twins as there's lots of food in the park following the rains so Alto should be able to produce plenty of milk to feed her hungry brood plus she also has the amazing support of her herd," the group wrote.

The group said they estimate the twins, spotted by researchers on the reserve, to be just a few days old. 

The African savanna elephant is classified as endangered on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.