# Sumatran elephant calf **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 14, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sumatran-elephant-calf/485834 "2009-02-14T17:06:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sumatran-elephant-calf/485834/1 "2009-02-14T17:06:27Z")
Good elephant [news.](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/02/baby-elephant.html) ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sumatran-elephant-calf/485834/2 "2009-02-14T22:05:37Z")
He’s such a big boy, yes, he is. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sumatran-elephant-calf/485834/3 "2009-02-15T09:54:18Z")
What a gorgeous sweet baby boy! The last pic makes me sad, though, seeing the baby loving on his momma’s leg, with a chain around her ankle, shackled to a hook in the ground ☹ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sumatran-elephant-calf/485834/4 "2009-02-15T14:21:39Z")
> [@nyctea scandiaca](#): > > The last pic makes me sad, though, seeing the baby loving on his momma’s leg, with a chain around her ankle, shackled to a hook in the ground ☹ You would think a zoo would have a pen for them. Perhaps they had them out for a photo op. It takes a big fence to contain a three or four ton elephant. They may be inside a fence to keep people out, and the chain is to keep them in. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sumatran-elephant-calf/485834/5 "2009-02-15T15:41:25Z")
> [@nyctea scandiaca](#): > > What a gorgeous sweet baby boy! The last pic makes me sad, though, seeing the baby loving on his momma’s leg, with a chain around her ankle, shackled to a hook in the ground ☹ I seriously doubt that chain is sturdy enough to restrain a full grown elephant determined to go elsewhere. It’s more of an aid to tell the elephant to stay in one spot, such as overnight, and not that much different than tying a horse up with rope - except that an elephant, being so much bigger and stronger than a horse, would probably accidentally snap a rope. Or, for that matter, not much different than leashing or tying up a dog outside in the backyard. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sumatran-elephant-calf/485834/6 "2009-02-15T15:52:15Z")
I think I read somewhere (might even be here) that humans, being mammals, are genetically programmed to find all baby mammals cute. And I think he’s adorable. I want one! ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sumatran-elephant-calf/485834/7 "2009-02-15T19:43:44Z")
He is adorable! It’s always good to see the continued survival of species that have been so [negatively impacted](http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/endangered_species_list/elephants/asian_elephants/sumatran_elephant/) by the proliferation and development of man. **ivylass** , [here’s an article](http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/babies.html) about the evolutionary purpose of cute babies.