Twin elephants, a rare occurrence in the wild, have been born in Kenya and now face a critical battle for survival.

Nurtured by their mother, Bora, and protected by a vigilant male, the newborn twin calves are being fed nourishing sustenance that conservationists hope will help them survive their difficult early days in a Kenyan safari park.

The two calves, yet to be named, were born this week in the Samburu National Reserve, marking only the second set of twin elephants ever recorded by the local charity Save the Elephants.

According to the charity's founder, Iain Douglas-Hamilton, 'Twins occur in just 1% of births, and mothers often lack enough milk to feed both calves,' he explained on Thursday.

The last recorded sighting of elephant twins by Save the Elephants occurred in 2006.

Sadly, both calves passed away shortly after birth, as noted by Iain Douglas-Hamilton. 'The next few days will be critical for the new twins, but we're all hopeful for their survival,' he shared.

The African elephant has the longest gestation period of any living mammal, carrying its young for about 22 months and giving birth every four years on average.

In Kenya and across sub-Saharan Africa, elephants face the increasing threat of poaching, driven by the high demand for ivory in Asian markets, particularly for use in traditional medicines.

According to Kenya's tourism ministry, elephant populations in the country more than doubled between 1989 and 2018, rising from 16,000 to 34,000, thanks to enhanced anti-poaching efforts, with the milestone being reached in 2018.