Monarto Safari Park has welcomed two new Asian elephants, Pak Boon and Tang Mo, into its existing herd, marking a significant achievement in the park’s long-term planning. After a lengthy 22-hour journey spanning 1,300 kilometres from Taronga Zoo in Sydney, the elephants are settling into their new surroundings in South Australia.
Their integration completes the initial group of four founding females in the herd, which also includes Permai, who relocated from Perth, and Burma from Auckland. The arrival of Pak Boon and Tang Mo is the fruit of two years of meticulous planning and logistics.
Peter Clark, the director of Monarto Safari Park, expressed satisfaction with the smooth transition, stating the movement of elephants is quite the undertaking. To ensure the new arrivals adjust well, keepers from Taronga Zoo will remain at Monarto for six weeks. Mandy Everett from Taronga Zoo remarked on the relief felt following the successful transport of the elephants.
Looking ahead, the final herd member, a male elephant named Putra Mas, is anticipated to arrive from Perth later this year. His presence will enable the initiation of breeding programmes aimed at enhancing the population of Asian elephants, further contributing to conservation efforts.