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ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Move of Perth Zoo's last elephant Putra Mas to SA's Monarto Safari Park delayed
The scheduled move of Perth Zoo's last elephant to South Australia has been delayed, as its new home Monarto Safari Park works to integrate the four females that arrived earlier this year. The zoo had planned for male elephant Putra Mas to leave in June or July, but the Asian elephant will remain in Perth until later in the year. "[Monarto] is still managing the introductions of the females," Perth Zoo's Acting Director of Life Sciences John Lemon said. "They are still undertaking fence-line contact and trying to get those four animals to be a working herd, or at least share the same habitat." Perth Zoo farewelled its female elephant Permai in January, who joined Burma from Auckland Zoo at Monarto. Two other females moved from Taronga Zoo shortly after. Putra Mas was expected to follow after going through must — a periodic, hormonal condition which can result in aggressive behaviour. Delayed works on the habitat required before Putra Mas arrives is contributing to the postponement, though Mr Lemon is confident the male will be in South Australia by the end of the year. "We're just on elephant time," he said. "There's still the introductions, they won't hold us up, if they're not together we'll still look at moving our boy, but there is also some facility works that need to be finished. "[Putra Mas] has progressed really well with his crate training here. The bespoke crate's been finished for some time, so it's ready to roll. "So it's just waiting for all of those things to come together and we'll set a date and move." Perth Zoo was expecting to add two southern white rhinos this year, but health concerns over the incoming pair means that plan isn't going ahead. "The female rhinos that were being considered for transfer to Perth Zoo have had a couple of unexpected health issues," Mr Lemon said. "They are no longer suitable for road or flight transport. From a health point of view they need to stay at Werribee's Open Range Zoo." The arrival of the rhinos was to coincide with the departure of male Bakari who was slated to be part of the regional breeding program. He'll instead remain in Perth while other breeding options are explored. "There is quite a lot of science that goes his genetics can contribute to the regional program, so we need to look what are the best options for him moving forward," Mr Lemon said. Despite the delayed move for Putra Mas, plans for a 30-million dollar upgrade to the African Savanna were going ahead. "We still have grand plans for that, but (the delayed move) is not holding it up at all and won't affect the timing of that," Mr Lemon said. The zoo has undergone extensive construction in recent years, with a new gibbon enclosure recently opened to patrons.
The Guardian
07-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘Life that they deserve': why Australia's elephants are moving out of city zoos
After Tricia died, Perth Zoo's last remaining female elephant, Permai, became withdrawn. 'She lost her matriarch … that was her whole world,' says Jack Lemon, the zoo's acting director of life sciences, of the once cheeky and affectionate elephant. 'Elephants need the company of other elephants, and we just don't have the space here to accommodate a herd structure.' Earlier this year, Permai made the 2,700km trip across the Nullarbor plain to join a makeshift herd at Monarto Safari Park, in regional South Australia. There, she joined Burma from Auckland, and two female elephants from Taronga Zoo Sydney who arrived in April. Perth's male, Putra Mas, will arrive later in the year. This year, Australia's captive elephants have been on the move, as long-term plans to build communities who can roam come to fruition. In February, Melbourne Zoo's herd of nine were also transported to a new 21-hectare habitat at Werribee Open Range Zoo. Soon, of Australia's 27 elephants, only two adult males will remain in the city, at the privately owned Sydney Zoo. Elephants are social animals, particularly females. In the wild, they live in multigenerational family groups – grandmothers, mothers, aunts, cousins and siblings – in herds that can number up to 60 animals. Some say it's a historic win for elephant welfare, while others argue the animals shouldn't be kept in captivity at all. 'We're the only region in the world where all of our elephants are housed in situations where females have opportunities for social contact with at least two other females,' says Amanda Embury, species coordinator for the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia. 'This is a huge milestone.' It has taken years of collaboration to get to this point but in some ways the work has only just begun. Introducing elephants to each other – and their new environment – is a slow and careful process, says Peter Clark, director of Monarto Safari Park. At 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres), the park is one of the largest open range zoos in the world. Its five new elephants will have access to 14 hectares – almost the size of Perth Zoo. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton's Clear Air column as a free newsletter Each animal is different, he says. Shortly after Pak Boon arrived from Taronga, she walked straight into the first waterhole, he says, 'and dragged her mate Tang Mo in with her', while the others 'were still tippy-toeing at that particular pool'. All the zoos are working together for a successful outcome, with keepers from Auckland, Perth and Sydney staying on as a 'familiar face'. Social bonds and strong family ties are fundamental for elephants, says the University of Nottingham's Assoc prof Dr Lisa Yon, a veterinarian and expert in elephant welfare. 'In the wild a female calf will often stay in the herd that she was born into for her whole life,' she says. 'She'll be there with mum, brothers and sisters, cousins, auntie, sometimes even a grandmother.' Elephants live in a 'fission-fusion' society, she says, where larger extended families might split off into smaller groups for a while, before coming together again. When they reunite, there's a tremendous sense of joy and excitement, she says. 'They're very touch oriented. You'll often see them touching each other with their trunks, providing social reassurance or nudging up against each other.' They also need large and stimulating environments, she says. 'Opportunities to swim and splash, mud wallow and dust bathe, knock trees over and strip bark off them, crunch on branches, and play with each other.' Males need much larger spaces in which to roam, and the chance to interact with other males and family groups. 'Bulls often get a really short shrift in captive facilities,' she says. A solitary life isn't good for elephants, Yon says, but positive welfare isn't just a question of numbers. It can be hard to predict whether elephants will get along, and there is some evidence to suggest genetically related elephants are more likely to have neutral or positive interactions, while unrelated animals tend to have more unfriendly ones. In those cases, space and the ability to move away is important. Melbourne Zoo's multi-generational herd was already well-acquainted and keeping those bonds intact in the move to Werribee is a priority, says Erin Gardiner, life sciences manager of the elephant trail at Werribee. Keepers have been allowing them to settle in slowly – introducing them in stages to their new digs, which include an elephant barn, areas of pasture and trees for grazing and deep pools for swimming. Grazing is a new activity and natural behaviour that wasn't available in the city. Gardiner, who has worked with the herd for more than 18 years, says the move has been a career highlight. 'Sometimes, I honestly get tears when I look out to these habitats and I see these elephants doing these beautiful behaviours like grazing or interacting with each other, swimming, wallowing,' she says. 'I feel so happy that they get to live this life that they deserve.' Not everyone agrees open range zoos are the answer. 'The RSPCA does not believe elephants should be kept in zoos, as it is difficult to meet all their physical and mental needs in a captive environment,' a spokesperson for RSPCA Australia says. The animal welfare organisation has long advocated stopping the importation of elephants into Australia, and has concerns about breeding in captivity. While open plains zoos offer more space to roam, 'there are continuing challenges, including limited social interactions due to relatively small herd sizes compared to those in the wild,' the spokesperson says. 'Elephants need space to exercise, a stimulating environment to engage their considerable physical and cognitive capabilities, and a nurturing social life,' says Peter Stroud, a retired independent zoological consultant. For decades, Stroud worked in Australian zoos as a keeper, curator and director and now advises on elephant welfare, including a stint on the elephant specialist group for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. 'Older elephants in Australia have led chequered lives,' he says. Some in their 40s and 50s have experienced dramatic changes 'from very small and impoverished exhibits and rigid daily routines, to larger more varied spaces' with more insightful care – although the spaces are still too small, he says. Their lives have improved but it's important to acknowledge that some have suffered and been shaped by past experiences, he says. Stroud says the shift from city enclosures to open range zoos is a positive step, but not the end goal. 'What should happen is we stop destroying our environment, nurture biodiversity, protect wildlife and make a world where elephants can live their lives as the wild animals they are.' Yon agrees. Both Asian and African elephants are now endangered, she says, and dying at a rate faster than they are being born. Globally, an estimated 18,000 elephants live in captivity – in zoos, logging camps, sanctuaries and tourism facilities. As a species with a long lifespan, even if no more elephants were born in captivity, many would continue to live in those settings for decades to come, she says. 'Regardless of what we feel, we have a responsibility to try to make the lives of those captive elephants as good as possible.'
9 News
01-05-2025
- General
- 9 News
Elephants settle into new SA home after mammoth interstate journey
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Monarto Safari Park has announced the successful integration of two new Asian elephants, Pak Boon and Tang Mo, into its existing herd. Following a 22-hour, 1300-kilometre journey from Sydney's Taronga Zoo, the elephants are adjusting well to their new home in South Australia. The arrival of Pak Boon and Tang Mo represents the culmination of two years of planning and logistical coordination, uniting the four founding females of the herd. Monarto Safari Park has announced the successful integration of two new Asian elephants. (Nine) The two new arrivals join Permai, who arrived from Perth, and Burma, who was transported from Auckland last year. "Moving elephants around is a big job," Monarto Safari Park director Peter Clark said. "And what happened yesterday, I think went as smoothly as it could go." Keepers from Taronga Zoo, who accompanied the elephants on their journey, will remain at Monarto for six weeks to facilitate a smooth transition. "We were really relieved that the journey went well," Taronga Zoo's Mandy Everett said. Following a 22-hour, 1300-kilometre journey from Sydney's Taronga Zoo, the elephants are adjusting well to their new home in South Australia. (Nine) The final member of the herd, male elephant Putra Mas, is expected to arrive from Perth in the latter half of the year. His arrival will allow for breeding programs aimed at bolstering the population of Asian elephants to start. This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress . South Australia national Australia Adelaide 9ExPress zoo animals CONTACT US
