Burma, the first Asian Elephant to travel to Monarto Safari Park, has officially completed her quarantine and won’t be by herself for too long as one the four other members of the herd is coming earlier than anticipated.
Burma has just taken her first explorative steps beyond her quarantine space, into the cloverleaf area of the elephant habitat. The area boasts over three acres of open terrain complete with waterhole and visitors can see her from public viewing areas.
Elephant Keeper Andrew Coers, who travelled with Burma from New Zealand, says he is very happy with how she’s adapted to her new environment.
“She’s settled in really well, the whole team is really pleased with how she’s going,” Andrew Coers said.
“Naturally there’s been some moments that have taken her a bit by surprise, the sounds are very different here and her first encounter with kangaroos the other day was a new experience, but she keeps taking it all in and I’m incredibly proud of both Burma and the team for how well she’s settled in…she’s just taking it all in her stride.”
Burma is the first arrival of what will be a herd of five Asian elephants at the expansive new 12ha habitat at Monarto Safari Park. Throughout 2025 she will be joined by four other elephants: female Permai (34) and male Putra Mas (34) from Perth Zoo, females Pak Boon (31) and Tang Mo (25) from Taronga Zoo.
Burma won’t have to wait as long as anticipated for company as Permai will travel from Perth Zoo in late January 2025, instead of later in the year as originally expected. Keepers report Permai has been showing signs of loneliness since the death of zoo matriarch Tricia back in 2022 which is why they are fast-tracking her arrival.
The herd is being brought together as part of the Australasian Zoo Aquarium Association’s (ZAA) regional breeding and advocacy programme for Asian elephants – an Endangered species with a continuing declining wild population due to habitat loss/ fragmentation and human-elephant conflict.
Monarto Safari Park recommends visitors pre-book tickets for park entry which includes the free Zu-loop hop-on/hop-off shuttle that goes directly past the elephant habitat.
