Aida II was first identified in 2022 as a 39 year old female forest elephant who frequents Dzanga Bai in the Dzanga Sangha Protected Area (DSPA).
DSPA is the largest intact forest block remaining in the Central African Republic (CAR). It sits in the extreme southwest of the country, along the northern edge of the Congo Basin. It is globally recognized as a major rainforest stronghold, home to significant populations of threatened and unique species, including Critically Endangered forest elephants.
The forest clearings are called ‘bais’ – mineral-rich soils and herbaceous plants attract and support different wildlife species.
Dzanga Bai is legendary for its aggregation of forest elephants – a wildlife spectacle which has featured in numerous documentaries and publications including those for the BBC and NatGeo. Over one hundred elephants can gather at any single time to feed on the mineral-rich springs.
Researchers suspected Aida II might be pregnant, but as there is no detailed information on pregnancy stages for elephants, predicting a birth date was not possible. Gestation in elephants lasts 22 months so it was just a case of watch and wait!
On August 5, 2023, Aida II was observed, still looking preganant, at the bai.
In December she returned – but she was not alone this time! She was with her tiny new-born son (pictured).
Image: ELP for the Yang Center/WWF
