A heartwarming scene unfolded recently at the Wild Elephant Valley scenic area in southwest China's Yunnan Province, as a male baby Asian elephant's playful nursing mishap captured the hearts of park staff and wildlife enthusiasts alike.
In footage shared by the reserve, the chubby calf was seen attempting to nurse from his mother, but initially latched onto the wrong spot. His mother remained calm, gently using her trunk to guide him to the correct position until he successfully began nursing.
Born in January, the young elephant made headlines from day one: weighing an impressive 158 kilograms at birth, compared with other newborn Asian elephants, which weigh around 100 kilograms.
He holds the record as the heaviest newborn Asian elephant ever documented at Wild Elephant Valley. Now just a few months old, the rapidly growing calf has already reached 247 kilograms.
Asian elephants are the largest land mammals native to Asia. They have one of the longest gestation periods in the animal kingdom -- 18 to 22 months -- and usually give birth to a single calf.
The nursing period lasts around three years, during which the young elephant learns essential survival skills from its mother and the herd.
Baby Asian elephant’s playful nursing mishap charms visitors in China's Yunnan
The 22nd China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair closed on Monday in the city of Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province.
The five-day event, which highlights cultural industry development, drew together 310 overseas exhibitors from 65 countries and regions.
In total, eight exhibition halls were set up at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center, including the one featuring cultural industry innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
During the event, 260 new product launch, debut, and premiere events were held in the main venue, showcasing the fusion of sci-tech and culture and injecting momentum into the high-quality development of the cultural industry.
This year's event, for the first time, set up a dedicated exhibition area for APEC economies, showcasing the Asia-Pacific region's achievements in cultural tourism. The region's specialty products, creative cultural products inspired by intangible cultural heritage, and regional delicacies were also on display.
Shenzhen is to host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November this year.
Established in 2004, the fair has become a leading cultural event in China and an important platform to assist the Chinese culture in going global.
22nd China Int'l Cultural Industries Fair closes in Shenzhen
