The first Asian elephant born in an Australian zoo has a name: Luk Chai, which means son or male child in Thai.The name was chosen out of more than 30,000 entries in a competition run by Sydney's Taronga Zoo.
New South Wales state Premier Nathan Rees said Monday that the name represents the elephant's Thai heritage. The calf was born earlier this month to one of a group of elephants brought to the zoo from Thailand in 2006.
Asian elephants are listed as endangered in the wild, with only an estimated 34,000 animals left across the continent.
The Australian zoo's elephants are part of an international breeding program that aims to preserve the genetic diversity of the species.
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