Let us show how our animal carers are taking tiny steps every day to help prepare Permai and Putra Mas for their jumbo journey.

Ahead of any travel, it’s important to get an animal used to their transport  crate so they view it as their own safezone!
Our expert elephant carers have started daily crate training with both Permai and Putra Mas.

The training involves the elephants being offered the choice to walk into the crate, and while inside, they are offered plenty of delicious foods and words of encouragement to ensure it’s a positive experience.  




Elephant seatbelts
What’s the first thing you do when you hop in the car? Fasten your seatbelt, of course!

Our elephants need this same safety measure for their trip to our neighboring State of South Australia.

Thanks to the incredible trust with her keepers, Permai will voluntarily lift her legs to allow her safety restraints to be clipped on.

Perth Zoo Senior Elephant Keeper, Kirsty Carey, said: “The restraints are nice and strong to support her heavy frame, but we’ve covered them in a protective material, so they don’t cause her discomfort.

“Through our positive training programs, Permai will lift each foot so we can clip them in before she goes over to the crate.

“Permai is known for being quite cheeky, she’s certainly not afraid to tell us if she doesn’t want to do something!

“That’s why we’re very pleased to see that she does choose to have her ‘seatbelts’ put on. That tells us she isn’t afraid, and sees it as a positive experience.”

Once clipped in, she will walk through her habitat and around to the transport crate.

One keeper instructing her and one keeper feeding her all her favorite foods – sweet apples, tasty pear and more!

Once the training is over, the keepers leave the crate open in case there’s any further curiosity.

The elephants have been known to go back in on their own to investigate further. Then, they are given a jumbo reward for being so brave and clever!