Since at least 2021, two images claiming to show elephants and dolphins in the womb have been circulating on social media.

See such a post shared on Facebook in 2021: here.

See the same claim recently circulated on Facebook: here, here, here, here, here.

See a similar post shared on Instagram with the same claim: here.

Fact-Check

Rumor Scanner Team’s investigation reveals that the discussed images do not actually show real scenes of elephants and dolphins in the womb. Rather, these were created using silicone models, which have been used in multiple National Geographic programs.

During the investigation surrounding these images, a post shared in 2021 by an X profile named “HoaxEye” was found: here. There, the claim about these images was debunked, stating that silicone models of animals were used in the National Geographic TV series In the Womb.

Following that post, a video was found on a website called David Barlow. A similar video was also found on the YouTube channel with the same name, published on September 1, 2014. The elephant image in question closely matches the ones shown in both videos.

Likewise, for dolphins, a match can be found in the video on David Barlow’s website and YouTube channel. A document linked on the website mentions that the animals shown in these videos were created using silicone models.

Furthermore, David Barlow’s website features a collection of videos depicting the gestational development of not just elephants and dolphins but several other animals as well. The descriptions state that instead of using real animals, highly detailed models were used to illustrate the development from embryo to birth. This approach made it possible to depict the internal scenes of pregnancy closely while avoiding ethical and practical complications. Many of these visuals have been used in National Geographic’s popular documentaries Animals in the Womb and Extreme in the Womb.