What is the name for a baby elephant?

A baby elephant is called a calf. The word applies to young elephants of both sexes and to calves of both the Asian elephant and Africa’s elephant species.

Elephant calves are born after an unusually long gestation, typically lasting about 20 to 22 months. A newborn is roughly 85 centimetres tall at the shoulder and weighs around 120 kilograms, though size varies by species and individual. Calves can stand and walk soon after birth, an essential ability for keeping up with a moving herd.

Elephant families provide extensive care. A newborn attracts attention from other herd members, which may touch it with their trunks and help protect it. Young females and other relatives can act as “allomothers,” a behaviour known as alloparenting. The calf initially depends heavily on its mother’s milk and gradually begins eating vegetation during its first months.

Several animal words are easy to confuse. A “foal” is a young horse or related equid, a “cub” usually refers to young carnivores such as lions or bears, and a “pup” is used for animals including dogs, seals and some other mammals. For elephants, calf is the standard zoological and everyday term.