Taman Safari Indonesia in Bogor, West Java, has welcomed a newborn male Sumatran elephant named Covid to its park. (Courtesy of Taman Safari Indonesia/--)

Taman Safari Indonesia in Bogor, West Java, has welcomed a newborn male Sumatran elephant to its park. 

The elephant calf, which was born in the park on April 28, was named Covid because he was born during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Sodik, an animal keeper at the park, said that Covid weighed 82.5 kilograms at birth. His parents are a 46-year-old female elephant named Nina and a 44-year-old male elephant named Kodir, both from Riau. 

Other keepers who were also monitoring Covid's condition said that the elephant calf was lively and in good health. 

Taman Safari Indonesia Bogor director Jansen Manansang said that Covid’s birth had brought the total number of elephants in the park to 51.

Taman Safari Indonesia is currently closed indefinitely because of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. Zoos across Indonesia are struggling to make ends meet as a result of the lack of visitors. 

A survey conducted by the Indonesian Zoo Association (PKBSI) last month showed that 92 percent of the association’s members in Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok, and Borneo – 55 zoos – had stock to feed their animals only until mid-May. (The Jakarta Post)