Rare twin elephant calves born in Kenya

Conservation activists in Kenya say they’ve spotted a rarity in Kenya — baby twins elephants.

The newborn twin calves were spotted in the Samburu National Reserve in Northern Kenya, according to local charity Save The Elephants.

“Twins form around only 1% of births. Quite often the mothers don’t have enough milk to support two calves,” the charity’s founder, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, told CNN on Jan. 20.

According to the BBC, the pair includes both a male and a female. Save The Elephants later told the BBC that they’re keeping their “fingers crossed” that both calves survive.

The pair is only the second set of twin calves ever encountered by Save The Elephants. The last time the organization saw elephant twins was in 2006.

Elephants in Kenya are at risk of poachers, who kill them to meet the demand for ivory. However, new studies show poaching has dropped in recent years.

By Scripps National.