ELEPHANTS being born in the middle of Spain's third-largest city is not something that happens every day. In fact, until this month, it had never happened before.
But Valencia had already had 653 days to prepare for it, so it wasn't a shock, even though it was certainly worthy of celebration.
Phew, at last! First-time mum Matla meets her little bundle of joy after one year and 10-and-a-half months of pregnancy
Before you get the calculator out, let's put 653 days into perspective. What were you doing last Hallowe'en – as in, 2021? Spain's Crown Princess Leonor was celebrating her 16th birthday; Matla had already been pregnant for 288 days and was less than halfway through her gestation.
And as Christmas 2022 looms ever closer, think back to the first three weeks of the New Year – not the most recent one, but 2021. Once the requisite three or four weeks for you to break all your New Year's resolutions had passed, Mini-Matla was just becoming a fertilised egg at that point.
Effectively, if he was born at 04.20 on the morning of November 9, 2022, this means Matla first became pregnant on January 24, 2021.
If you're an expecting mum, especially in your final few weeks, or have clear memories of how you felt back then if you already have children, the mere thought probably makes you wince. That point in a pregnancy where you feel heavy and swollen and find yourself lecturing your unborn bundle of joy, telling them, “look, the world really isn't as bad as they say it is. Get out and show your face in it, you can't avoid it forever. At least, I hope you can't...” just imagine if someone told you that you still had another one year, one month, one week and two days before Little One did as they were told.
As well as being good practice for parenting young children and teenagers – when it takes about the same length of time for them to do as they're told – you'd suddenly know what it felt like to be an elephant.
Matla's baby close up. Hidden CCTV cameras have kept a close eye on both, in the days leading up to Matla's labour, and in the weeks that followed to ensure Mini-Matla feeds properly and develops normally
It's often the case, going by its inhabitants' track record, that BioParc babies are born on the night of a full moon – irrespective of their species. In the wild, animals typically give birth at night so they can hide themselves and their vulnerable young from predators, but a full moon means a little extra light than usual to help mum and baby through the process.
Matla has no predators at the BioParc, where animals live in conditions designed carefully to match their natural habitats as closely as possible. Although most have never lived in the wild at all, their surroundings are created so that they are as comfortable in them as if they had never seen humans.
About BioParc
If you're too far from Valencia for a swift visit, you can still enjoy the animal magic on what feels like a real-live safari trip: BioParc has a branch in Fuengirola (Málaga province), too, and it's a hugely popular day out for holidaymakers on the Costa del Sol.
This friendly giraffe lives in the African savannah…in Valencia
This bustling Mediterranean city once looked a bit like Paris or London on the map, with the Túria river running straight through it, but the 'Great Flood of 1957', when it burst its banks, changed this for good. A natural disaster 65 years ago which left inhabitants throughout the centre literally out of their depth in their own homes – some residents still have pen-marks on their walls to remind themselves how high the flood water came up to – led the city council to divert the Túria to ensure it never happened again.
And the old riverbed was turned into a massive, meandering botanical parkland with footpaths and cycling routes – which would become one of Europe's largest urban gardens and a key tourist attraction.
The BioParc, although vast, only takes up a small fraction of the Túria riverbed gardens, and it's hard to believe you're in a European city centre when you stroll through the swamps, serengeti, savannahs and rainforests.
Gombé the Chimp, Valencia BioParc's mascot, with carers Albert and Kate. Although he's not real, both BioParcs have live ‘chimp zones’, and world primate expert Jane Goodall has been full of praise for animal care standards at the complexes
Whilst it's natural for animal-lovers to feel a little unsettled at the idea of creatures being 'in captivity' for 'human entertainment', standards of care across Europe have improved dramatically in the past few decades – and if you need any further persuasion, the BioParc has the full endorsement of chimp expert Jane Goodall. She has often visited the Valencia complex in a professional capacity and has been very open about its excellent standards of animal care, holding it up as an example of humane wildlife conservation.
Jane Goodall even has her own mural in the 'chimp department', and her expert advice has helped BioParc carers to ensure these giant primates have the best possible lives.
Matla's tale: Watch a baby elephant meet his mum
Never before in the history of the BioParc has an elephant been born, though. Neither an Indian elephant nor, in the case of Matla's baby, an African elephant, so carers employed at the centre were excited and eager when they saw on hidden CCTV that the mum was showing all the signs of going into labour, were moved to tears when they saw the beautiful process of a mother bringing her tiny little creation to life and nurturing it with an outpouring of instinctive love, and celebrated joyously when it was all over.
Matla was monitored 24 hours a day by camera, as is standard procedure at the BioParc when any animal is coming up to her due date, but of course, these are well-concealed so as not to give off any lights or sounds that may unsettle her at a time when all her concentration is needed and she has to feel as safe as she can.
Minutes after the birth, Matla nurtures her new baby
Staff say they noticed Matla having contractions at around 01.00 to 01.30, pacing around, and that these started to become more frequent; by 04.00 she began pushing in earnest.
It only took 20 minutes for the new infant to appear, and despite the emotion of this once-in-a-lifetime, miracle moment for the humans on the other side of the screen, the entire process was textbook and clockwork.
Cameras remained trained on Matla for several days after the birth to ensure no complications arose, and gave the lucky employees a chance to watch the cute and funny early interactions between a newborn and his patient, loving, long-suffering mum.
“For the first few hours, the baby elephant was very lively and was instinctively seeking out his mum for shelter and comfort,” say carers.
An elephant foetus - what Matla's baby would have looked like in the womb (photo: Naked Science/YouTube)
“Matla, despite being a first-time mum, was behaving in an exemplary manner, showing an innate instinct for protection and immediately started attending to her infant, trying to teach him to suckle.
“This initial period is of particular concern since, even if the birth and immediate post-natal situation seems to be going well, it's crucial to keep an eye on both over the day that follows, and to monitor the baby's growth.
“Even though these animals are born with a weight of between 80 and 100 kilos (12st 8lb and 15st 10lb, or 176lb to 220lb), they are visibly fragile and we need to take every precaution.”
Since the birth, carers have been working hard to ensure mother and baby are kept in a quiet, stress-free environment and that their joint welfare is priority – as well as that of the rest of the herd.
Unlike other species, Matla and baby do not need to be kept apart from the others for a few days or weeks – and also unlike many other species, the pair got a trumpeting chorus to congratulate them. Upon sight of the mum and newborn, the rest of their community gave a triumphant and noisy salute.
African elephants in their natural habitat
Similar to humans, the baby has become the centre of attention among the mum's social circle – the other elephants are openly curious, enthusiastic and spellbound by the little arrival.
Matla's baby was born as part of the European Endangered Programme (EEP), aimed at controlled population increase of species threatened with rapid decline.
Two elephants from the African continent are currently under the spotlight within the International Nature Conservation Union (UICN) scheme, and both are on the so-called 'Red List' of species at risk of disappearance.
The Loxodonta Cyclotis is said to be 'critically endangered', and Matla and friends' species, the Loxodonta Africana, is listed as being under threat of extinction.
As part of the programme to save them, the BioParc has six female elephants, or cows, in residence, all of them of childbearing age – meaning Mini-Matla may not remain centre of attention for long, but could soon have some pals of his own generation to play with.
Now, here's the fun part: If you visit the BioParc, you'll be able to see Matla and her rapidly-growing youngster, but you'd be unlikely to see any of her group giving birth, as they tend to go into labour long after closing time. To make sure the public doesn't miss this beautiful and unique moment, though, the BioParc has uploaded its CCTV footage on YouTube, so you can witness it for yourself – check it out at https://youtu.be/Q1V4vwqTCLw.
BioParc babies help save the planet (even the few who aren't that cute)
BioParc Valencia is a hotbed of little miracles most of the time, in fact – babies are born almost every week, since one of the main purposes of the complex is to repopulate species which are declining rapidly in the wild.
Not all BioParc babies - or grown-ups - are adorable, but all species on Earth need to be protected to ensure the planet functions properly, not just the cuddly ones. These, though, pictured at BioParc Fuengirola, are definitely beautiful
Very different ones, too – and not all of them cute. Last year, the BioParc proudly showed off pictures of newborn scorpions, which look like large uncooked prawns and would make most viewers' skin crawl. But as the carers explain, keeping the Earth's inhabitants alive and ensuring their future survival is not about cherry-picking the most cuddly ones; even ugly creatures serve their purpose in the grand scheme of things, and biodiversity is to be encouraged.
Luckily for visitors, though, the majority of BioParc's newborns are indeed cute – by default, not by selection. And although visitors tend to melt into a wobbly, gooey mass of emotion upon sight of them – much as humans tend to around puppies, kittens or babies of their own species – they acquire truly intriguing information about how our fellow Earthlings live whilst gurgling inarticulately over these adorable little furry things.
It takes a village: Different parenting methods
One such example is the mongoose. Many of you may suddenly realise at this point that you have no idea what a mongoose looks like. Why would you? They're not something you keep as pets or see pottering around wild when you go for country walks. So, here's a picture of a mum with one of her new litter, to satisfy your curiosity.
And those sweet little faces have a whole story behind them: Although they are two different races of the same animal, their upbringing methods and family environments are worlds apart.
The Banded Mongoose (Mungos Mungo) is a 'Red List' species worldwide, but not in Spain – the community at Valencia BioParc is the largest in the country, with 57 adults as at last year; this number grew rapidly with two litters of radically different sizes in late 2021, one of 13 babies and one with two.
Hierarchy in a Banded Mongoose group is based upon size and age of individuals, BioParc explains. They raise their children as a community – one male dominates the group, and the females synchronise births, all going into labour at around the same time. This way, the mums share the workload – they even all muck in with feeding. Any mongoose cub will suckle from any lactating mongoose female, even if she's not their mother.
Another picture of a Banded Mongoose mum with her new baby. BioParc Valencia has Spain's largest community of these animals, who are considered ‘endangered’, but only in the wild - their biggest threat is destruction of their natural habitat
Mums will 'babysit' the group in shifts, whilst the other ladies go off hunting for food – and gender equality is very real amongst the Banded Mongoose, despite the presence of a male overlord. The 'subordinate' males will also take turns in childcare, guarding the group of youngsters against predators, and hunting for sustenance to take back to the extended family for meals.
At the same time as the BioParc welcomed 15 baby Mungos Mungo, a litter of two Common Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale Parvula Undulata) was born, within the same week. And unlike the community-style child-rearing of their striped cousins, these smaller ones form breeding pairs.
Mother and father remain a firm unit for life, like a married couple, and share the care responsibilities and food-hunting, each being almost equally involved in safeguarding the young against predators.
Banded Mongoose babies suckle from any nearby lactating mum, not just their own, since the females synchronise births to be able to care for their young as a community. Males also take shifts, and ‘babysitting’ is shared so some adults of both sexes are free to go hunting for food. By contrast, the Common Dwarf Mongoose forms ‘married couples’ for life, with mum and dad both sharing childcare
They live in a termite mound, as they would in the wild, in the savannah area of the BioParc, close to the warrens made for badgers, rabbits and creatures of the same species family, whilst the Banded Mongoose community, also in the savannah, lives near the aviary or 'bird zone', close to the lions.
Although both types of mongoose are considered 'endangered', their situation is not classed as 'critical', because the main threat to their survival as a species is the destruction of their natural habitat. This means they are not at risk in artificial habitats, like the BioParc, since the destruction – largely through human actions or natural disasters – is extremely unlikely to occur.
'Critical' primates: Every birth is a substantial population increase
A species that is, however, deemed 'critical' is the Dril Monkey (Mandrillus Leucophaeus), given that fewer than 4,000 are known to exist on the African continent, where they are native to, and their numbers have been in rapid decline for some years.
Fragmentation of the community, low birth rate, loss of natural habitat and poaching have all taken their toll on these primates, putting them firmly on the UICN 'Red List' for the foreseeable future.
But thanks to the European EEP, the BioParc has been able to help limit the damage.
Dril Monkeys are fast becoming extinct - barely 4,000 of them are still alive on Earth. That's why this mum and her infant, born at the BioParc, are a pair of primate miracles
Primates, including humans, normally only have one child per pregnancy, meaning it's harder to keep their numbers up than with the mongoose, which can potentially have litters running into double figures – to this end, every single Dril Monkey live birth is a massive global success and a significant rise in percentage of its population.
One of the first of these at Valencia BioParc was Abuja, part of a community of 10 including fellow breeding female Kianja and under the 'rule' of the dominant male Rafiki, who gave birth last summer, creating intense delight and celebration among carers at the complex.
“This is a very little-known African primate, with a very unusual appearance and very noticeable differences between sexes,” the BioParc explains.
“Males are visibly much larger than females, and develop very brightly-coloured markings – blueish-purple on their bottoms, bright red in the genital area and beneath their lower lip.
Abuja was one of BioParc's first Dril Monkeys to give birth. They become ‘ferocious-looking’ as adults, even though they are sweet and fluffy-looking as babies, explain carers
“Dril Monkey faces are also very unique. Their complexion is completely pale when they are born, and darkens with age until it looks as though they are wearing a deep-black mask.
“The prominent fangs they develop as they grow and which are very much on display when they yawn means adult Dril Monkeys have a very wild, ferocious look about them.”
The Dril Monkeys live in what is designed to be a replica of the riverside forests in equatorial Africa, along with numerous and often unrelated species – Nile geese, pygmy hippos, and antelopes such as the marshbuck (Tragelaphus Spekii) – and with other primates, such as the Southern Talapoin Monkey (Miopithecus Talapoin), native to the south-western African nation of Angola.
Promoting the Earth's health through future human generations
One of the greatest attractions of the Valencia BioParc, along with the animals themselves – and being able to see exactly the type of landscape they live in naturally – is that visitors can get close to them, much closer than they would even on an African safari trip.
In fact, the tamer ones often approach passing humans and allow themselves to be stroked, many of them within close proximity of the open-air restaurant area.
One of the beautiful sights at the BioParc complexes. Flamingos are regular migratory visitors to many of Spain's coastal and pre-coastal salt marshes, too, so you may be able to see them in the wild
School trips are frequently organised at the Valencia and Fuengirola complexes, as are children's birthday outings, with a complete learning experience adapted to each age group. Ranging from nursery school to sixth form, young people can find out about everything from how animals live through to how they as humans can help protect the planet, care for their environment and work towards securing the future of declining species.
BioParc Valencia and Fuengirola are very keen on the education and awareness side of their activity, given that they are in a position to encourage vital environmental welfare action by 'making it real' – rather than facts and figures or even interactive maps, visitors of any age can see for themselves the animals and natural habitats that need to be kept safe, as well as why and how.
An example of one of BioParc's ‘school trip packs’ - feathers, bird eggs, paw prints, skins and skulls (fake ones, of course), books and pictures, as souvenirs for pupils of their visit and to remind them of what they learned
Various workshops and themed outings can be booked for child groups, and during the pandemic, the BioParc was even visiting schools to offer these, so that education in wildlife conservation and care did not have to stop just because of the Covid risk involved in class outings.
BioParc's 'Nature Classroom' follows the World Health Organisation's (WHO's) holistic approach – that the health of humans and animals cannot be separated and must be considered as having a direct influence on each other, and that all creatures living on Earth, homo sapiens included, are intrinsically linked to the health of nature and the planet itself.
The WHO's 'One Health' concept is 'among the many, many things we have learned from the pandemic', says the BioParc.
“We've all discovered, through Covid, that this approach is more important than ever before,” they stress.
Not just wild animals: Rhino Dog Squad lets species help each other
Among the endless list of events that the pandemic put paid to around the world was BioParc's annual dog race – but with next year's being the 10th anniversary (and 11th edition) of the much-loved pet parade, it is expected to be more special than ever.
The non-competitive – or only marginally-competitive – dog race, or Can-rerra (a word-play on carrera, being a speed race, and can, being 'dog' or 'canine') takes place in late autumn, to avoid the summer heat and winter cold, and helps raise funds for BioParc's vital work; in this case, saving the rhinoceros.
BioParc Valencia's annual Can-rerra sponsored race in aid of the Rhino Dog Squad was a ‘virtual’ one during the pandemic years. Participants and their pooches posted photos and videos of themselves joining in
Organised via the BioParc Foundation, which works in the Ebo forest in Cameroon and is closely linked to Jane Goodall's chimpanzee protection projects, in conjunction with the international group Save the Rhino, the Can-rerra is part of the BioParc's charity known as the Rhino Dog Squad.
The idea, it says, is that the 'troop' of people's pet pooches involved help rescue fellow animals from poachers – the cash raised provides protection to rhinos in the wild, and also pays for detecting poaching and keeping the killers away from the herds.
Lady with Pup: Another pair of partipants in the Rhino Dog Squad ‘virtual Can-rerra’
Covid did not entirely stop the Can-rerra, as the 2020 and 2021 versions were held online – participants dressed up and posted photos and videos of themselves walking their dogs on the BioParc's social media sites, paying entry fees to join in, which supported the Foundation.
Practical BioParc information
Opening times change throughout the year at both BioParcs, with later closing in summer – right now, in November, the park can be visited between 10.00 and 18.00, on any day of the week.
Ticket prices vary – in general, in Valencia, teenagers and adults pay around €27 a head, children under four get in free, and for the four-to-12 age group, it costs about €21, with visitors aged 65-plus paying a reduced rate of €20.60.
Lions and giraffes living companionably together at Valencia BioParc
Further reduced rates apply for large families or single-parent families (proof is needed), for the under-25s with a student card or 'youth card' from any country, or for certain pensioners or people with disabilities.
School trips, per head, depending upon the type of excursion and whether or not food is included, range from €13.50 to €23.50; group excursions for 20 or more people come in at around €21 a head, or €16 for the over-65s, children under 13, or as part of professional training or college education.
Giraffe family in descending order of size and age at Valencia BioParc
Groups of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) normally cost about €12.50 per person.
This said, it is usually possible to visit the BioParc for even less money. Regular trippers can buy an annual pass, and promotional tickets are frequently found – sometimes booklets of them in bars, restaurants, shops and ice-cream parlours during spring and summer, offering one free entry for every paying adult, and where customers can simply tear off as many as they want.
Here be dragons: One of Fuengirola BioParc's residents
Fuengirola BioParc is slightly cheaper: Children aged three to nine pay €17, the over-65s pay €18, people with accredited disabilities pay €12.50, the under-threes get in free, and children aged 10-plus, along with adults in general, pay €23.
Discounts also apply as for Valencia – and, here, anyone registered as resident in Fuengirola automatically gets 20% off the price, provided they can show proof of their 'local' status.
Groups of 20 or more visiting Fuengirola BioParc pay €18.50 a head, or €16 for the over-65s, €11 for those with an accredited disability, or €15 for children aged three to nine inclusive – once again, the under-threes get in free.
Babies aplenty at Fuengirola BioParc, too
In Fuengirola, according to the BioParc website, tickets cost €1 less if they are booked online 24 hours before entry.
For more information, you can call BioParc Fuengirola on (0034) 952 666 301 or email the booking office at reservas@bioparcfuengirola.es; for BioParc Valencia, call (0034) 960 66 05 26, or contact them at info@bioparcvalencia.es.
Both branches are multi-lingual, and their websites are available in 15 languages in addition to Spanish.
