VICTORIA, Australia (WTVR) -- Melbourne Zoo's newest baby elephant made his first public outing on Friday.
Proud mum Num-Oi stepped out with her teetering newborn son, just one day after giving birth. The mother and son took a morning stroll with a little help from zoo keepers.
After a grueling four-day labor it was time to show off her pride and joy.
"She's come through well, he's come through well, and we're really pleased to see how well they're bonding together and the baby's suckling very well," Dr. Helen McCracken, a veterinarian, said.
The baby, which is the third elephant to be born at Melbourne Zoo, was conceived through artificial insemination. Experts stress that the success rate for elephants born in captivity is around 50-percent.
There were some tense moments for mother and child.
"That baby was stuck for a while and we sometimes are concerned about trauma to the baby but he's shown no evidence of that," McCracken said.
Num-Oi has taken to motherhood with the greatest of ease. However, zoo officials said she was so attentive that the baby had to sleep standing up all night.
The little one will start spending time with other elephants in the coming days.
