Last month, we announced planning had commenced to transport our elephants to South Australia to become founding members of a new open-range herd.
Simultaneously, our friends at Zoos South Australia kicked off a jumbo fundraising campaign to raise the final funds needed to bring this new facility to life.
And today, Zoos SA announced it has officially exceeded the goal of $2.025 in just one month!
That means the first stage of planning for the new facilities can start for the 15-hectare open-range habitat at Monarto Safari Park.
Moving our elephants is a mammoth task and won’t happen overnight. Our team of expert animal carers and welfare specialists have carefully developed a long-term training program for both Permai and Putra Mas.
A transport crate has now been moved into the elephant yard as part of this training.
Crate training an elephant involves lots of small steps to ensure they see it as a safe, happy space. And with plenty of positive reinforcement and delicious treats, we’re pleased to say the first stages of training are progressing well!
Don’t worry, there’s still a long way to go, so you have plenty of time to come and visit your elephant friends before they pack their trunks and journey to their forever home.
We know our community care about our elephants as much as we do, and while we’ll miss them dearly in WA, we need to put them first.
We are confident Monarto Safari Park will provide a wonderful home for them!
DID YOU KNOW?
- Perth Zoo first announced its plan to rehome elephants Permai and Putra Mas in 2018. This was to occur following the passing of Tricia, to ensure the pair would have a home that can accommodate a suitable social herd structure.
- Permai and Putra Mas will join Auckland Zoo’s Asian Elephant Burma as founding members of Monarto Safari’s Park’s herd. The habitat could eventually house up to five elephants.
- Female elephants live in matriarchal herd structures, while bull elephants live a solitary lifestyle close to ovulating female herds.