Home is where the herd is
He’s off!
Putra Mas’ trunk is officially packed and he’s on the road to South Australia.
This morning, our elephant carers took Putra Mas through his regular daily crate training.
And just like every other day, our super intelligent bull elephant walked into his crate calmly and had his seatbelts fastened, while munching on pears and apples.
Except this time it was for real!
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We’ve been preparing for this day for a long time, in fact, we first announced that Permai and Putra Mas would move on from Perth Zoo way back in 2018!
With his departure, Perth Zoo will no longer be home to elephants.
The decision to move out of caring for elephants was difficult, but we proudly stand by it.
We’ve evolved into a modern conservation organisation, with animal welfare underpinning everything we do.
As an inner-city site, we know we don’t have the space needed to appropriately care for a full herd of elephants.
In 2018 we announced that elephants would move on from Perth Zoo following the passing of matriarch Tricia.
In 2022, our grand old dame passed away at 65 years old, leaving Permai and Putra Mas behind. Her passing set our new chapter in motion.
And now it’s time to raise our trunks and say farewell to Perth Zoo’s elephant era.
As we approached the bittersweet day, we reminisced on our elephants with the people who know them best.
With Putra Mas’ arrival, the
Monarto Safari Park elephant is completed. With Permai and Putra Mas as founding herd members!
There's a new regional elephant herd coming to our friends at
Monarto Safari Park in South Australia and Permai and Putra Mas will be its founding herd members!
+ Home is where the herd is
When Tricia passed, Permai grieved the loss of her matriarch.
Our elephant carers were doing an exceptional job looking after her, but Permai needed other female elephants.
In 2023, our colleagues Zoos South Australia announced plans to build a brand-new elephant habitat at Monarto Safari Park.
Experts from our team consulted extensively on the habitat design, ensuring the new space would be right for managing a functioning elephant herd.
The new elephant habitat at Monarto Safari Park opened in 2024. It’s almost as big as the entirety of Perth Zoo, giving the elephants plenty of room to roam, with two separate barns for the girls and boy to sleep.
Burma arrived from New Zealand first in November 2024, followed by Perth’s Permai in January 2025 and the pair were quickly followed by two other females Pak Boon and Tang Mo, from Sydney.
Once Putra Mas arrives, the herd will be complete.
+ Crate training
Driving an elephant across the Nullarbor is no mean feat. But as one of the most isolated zoos in the world, our teams are experts in large animal transfers.
Custom-built crates were designed and built for both Permai and Putra Mas for a safe and comfortable road trip. Ahead of any travel, it’s important to get an animal used to their transport crate so they view it as their own safe zone.
The training involved giving them 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.
The custom-built crates are air-conditioned, fully insulated, have a temperature gauge and cameras that enables the team to monitor the elephants for the entire journey.
Safety and welfare are our number one priority. That’s why the elephants wear tethers while in the crate, a bit like elephant-sized seatbelts.
Thanks to the incredible trust with keepers through daily training, the elephants will voluntarily lift their legs to allow safety tethers to be clipped on.
+ Permai's journey
In January 2025, the day had finally come. Permai journeyed across the Nullarbor to her new home at Monarto Safari Park in South Australia.
On 26 January, our elephant carers took Permai through her daily crate training as normal. She walked in calmy, her seatbelts were fastened just like every other training session. Except this time, it was for real!
A team of senior carers and veterinarians drove across the Nullarbor with her for two days before successfully arriving at Monarto.
Day 1
Day 2
+ Tricia's legacy
Tricia was a true icon of Western Australia.
She was cheeky and loved sneaking up on people when she was out walking around the Zoo. This gentle giant had everyone wrapped around her trunk!
At 65-years-old, Tricia was one of the oldest elephants in the world, and while we knew the time would always come to say ‘goodbye’ it was still heartbreaking.
Perth Zoo and the wider community mourned the beloved elephant when she passed in 2022.
Her impact on the millions of people who visited her over the years will certainly not be forgotten.
Since her arrival at Perth Zoo in 1963, she helped generations develop an appreciation for elephants and wildlife conservation.
And when she passed, the incredible people of WA donated more than $30,000 in her honour to build a ranger station hut in Sumatra to protect one of the last remaining wild populations of Asian Elephants in Bukit Tigapuluh National Park.
+ History of elephants
Frequently asked questions
+ How and when will the elephants move?
Perth Zoo’s two elephants, Permai and Putra Mas, will travel in custom designed crates to ensure their safety and well-being. Being one of the most isolated zoos in the world, Perth Zoo is an expert in long-haul animal transports.
The keepers who have a very close relationship with the elephants will travel with them to provide support and help them settle into their new home.
Female Permai arrived at Monato in late January 2025, and Putra Mas began his jumbo journey on 03 November.
+ How safe will it be to transport the elephants? Will they be OK?
By road as it's the only means possible. Any animal move is meticulously planned and takes time to organise. Safety and the welfare of the animals in our care are our top priorities.
We are prepared the elephants to make their transport as calm and safe as possible. This included special training sessions in the transport crates so they feel comfortable, safe and secure.
This paved the way for the elephants to see the crates as their safe havens when they travel.
+ Can’t WA build an open-range zoo and move our elephants there?
An open range zoo is currently not on the agenda. Perth Zoo is currently focussed on completing a master plan for the South Perth site providing a world class experience for the people of Western Australia and visitors to the State.
It would take an exceptionally long time to build a new open range zoo from scratch. We do not have that time. Since Tricia died, Permai has been lonely. It’s been tough for her, and we want her to have elephant friends as soon as possible. We will miss her dearly, but we must do what is best for her. We know she will be happy there.
+ Why are you removing elephants from Perth?
We first announced our elephants would be rehomed in 2018.
Good modern zoos try to replicate a species’ natural living and social conditions. For female elephants, this is with other female elephants. Males tend to be more solitary but can live in bachelor herds and benefit from being near ovulating females.
Perth Zoo is a small zoo within metropolitan South Perth. We are committed to providing the best for the animals in our care and on this site. On our site we cannot develop an elephant exhibit big enough to accommodate a functioning herd comprising of multiple individuals.
As sad as it will be to see them go, we love them so much, we need to do what is best for them – and that means, saying goodbye.
+ What will be put in the exhibit that the elephants vacate?
This area is earmarked for an expansion of the African Savannah, providing more room to roam for animals such as giraffe, which are also threatened with extinction and a species Perth Zoo is part of a collaborative breeding program for. More information about the future Zoo can be found here.