Whipsnade baby elephant named Queen as zoo patron tribute

A month-old Asian elephant has been named the Thai word for queen in honour of the late monarch, who once fed a banana to the calf's mother.

The Queen, patron of ZSL Whipsnade, shook the trunk of Donna when she opened the Bedfordshire zoo's centre for elephant care in 2017.

Donna's calf has now been named Nang Phaya, an animal-related Thai word meaning "queen" or "strong, female monarch".

Elephant project officer Saravanee Namsupak, said: "We wanted a name that represented who she is as a future matriarch of the Whipsnade herd, but also her part in the wider story of endangered Asian elephants, like those we work to protect in Thailand."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk