African Lion Safari shows off its 3 baby elephants

Their names are Hannah, Gigi and Anna May, and for a wildlife farm in rural Hamilton, they represent a successful chapter in an effort to breed more endangered Asian elephants.

There have been three baby elephants born at African Lion Safari since the fall, with the most recent born in May. The young elephants make 17 bred at the Flamborough safari.

Anna May was born on May 4 to Opal, a first-time mother. She weighed 240 pounds at birth.

Gigi was born Feb. 24 and weighed 124 pounds. Her mother, Emily, was also a first-time mother.

Hannah weighed 232 pounds when she was born on Oct. 19. Her mother, Lilly, was pregnant for 21 months.

Asian elephants are endangered in part because of loss of habitat, the safari said in a media release. 

And while the success of in-captivity breeding programs add to the population, researchers have found that elephants living in the wild have longer life spans.

In a 2008 article in the journal Science, researchers from England and Kenya wrote that captive elephants tend to have more stress, particularly if they're moved from zoo to zoo. If we rely on breeding in captivity only, the study shows, populations will decline by about 10 per cent per year.

In rural Hamilton, the three babies "enjoy their time playing and interacting with each other as well as other family members," the company said in a statement. Guests can see them at the elephant look-out every afternoon.