Australia's most miraculous elephant has shuffled his way to his first birthday despite his difficult journey into the world.
Mister Shuffles became a national icon when he was born alive after he went into a coma in his mother's womb during a long and difficult labour that lasted several days, and experts had assumed he was dead.
One year on Mister Shuffles has tweeted about his entry into the world.
"'A baby elephant has died at Sydney's Taronga Zoo during a complicated birth process.' Wrong!" he said on Monday.
"Sorry if I made you all sad this time last year, I didn't mean to, i was having 1 last ultra-nap in mum's tummy," he said in his next Tweet.
Zoo staff went to work as soon as the bouncing 116kg baby was born, massaging his limbs and stomach until he was able to stand up.
At first he was nicknamed Mr Shuffles by zoo staff because of his comical early walking attempts - like an old man shuffling around in ill-fitting slippers.
However, Mister Shuffles was born to a Thai mother and in keeping with the zoo's tradition of respecting the Thai culture he was given a Thai name and called Pathi Harn.
It was one of seven Thai names proposed in a poll in which almost 10,000 people voted and Pathi Harn - meaning "a miracle" - emerged as the clear favourite.
The little guy has since taken to Twitter and he's spreading the word that he made it through his first year at the zoo.
"Thank you @TarongaZoo for looking after me so well in my 1st year! But u need to take us for long walks or I'll start escaping again," he said on the social media forum on Wednesday.
Mister Shuffles has also apparently just learned about his difficult journey into the world and tweeted excitedly about that too.
"Mum says this time last year all humans here were crying bcs they thoughts I was dead! Mum says she knew I was okay & wanted 1 more ultranap," he tweeted.
Introduction
- twinpicks
on Mar. 9, 2011 at 1:26 AM