A photo in circulation allegedly shows a newborn baby elephant.

The photo is real, but shows a dead elephant fetus as a result of a miscarriage, not a newborn baby elephant.

The photo in circulation was originally posted on a Picasa web album back in 2007 and was correctly labeled “elephant fetus.”

This image has been circulating online for years, often by “fact” and “amazing images” profiles on social media, who are apparently unaware of the true nature of the photo. It sometimes includes a description of “world’s smallest elephant” or a “newborn baby elephant.”

Compare the photo in circulation with that of a real newborn elephant.

Size of a Baby Elephant

According to the San Diego Zoo, an elephant calf like the one shown above is typically about three feet tall and hairy. They may weigh over 200 pounds. This is in stark contrast to the incorrectly captioned fetus being passed off as a living elephant calf.

Bottom Line

The photo in circulation does not show a newborn elephant, but that of a fetus as a result of a miscarriage.