An adult Asian elephant with a baby elephant in its zoo enclosure during daytime. 3:54
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A two-week-old elephant, his sister and a ball

At two weeks old, a baby Asian elephant at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam still fits under his mother. That's where he likes to start. more

He stays close at first. Now and then he ducks under her belly for cover and walks along there, the way a small child keeps one hand on a parent's coat. Then curiosity wins, and each trip out from under her goes a little farther.

He starts with the water and plays in it. Then he finds a ball and tries to work out what it is for. His trunk is still new to him, so he pokes and nudges as if he's reading the instructions.

His sister looks ready for a nap. She yawns and rubs her eye with the tip of her trunk, like a sleepy kid with a fist. Anyone who has put a tired toddler to bed knows that move.

An elephant stands beside a fallen log and branches with its trunk curled up near its face. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
His sister pauses for a yawn and rubs her eye with the tip of her trunk.

Soon the two of them find a game they both understand. He and his sister push the balls back and forth across the water to each other. For a two-week-old, his aim isn't bad.

An adult Asian elephant with a baby elephant in its zoo enclosure during daytime. The headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
At two weeks old, a baby Asian elephant at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam still fits under his mother.

The grown-ups mostly stand by and let the kids work. Every species seems to run this way: the young ones want to play, and the adults are just tired. Near the end, one of the elephants stands by the rocks with its mouth wide open, as if there's more to say.

An elephant stands near rocks with its mouth open. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Near the end, one of the elephants stands by the rocks with its mouth wide open.

Next to the adults he looks almost too small to be real, a perfectly built mini elephant with a trunk he is only starting to trust. Give him a few weeks and that ball won't stand a chance.

#elephants