Auckland Zoo elephants Anjalee and Burma will soon be moving to their new zoo homes in Australia – Anjalee to Taronga Western Plains Zoo, and Burma to Australia Zoo.

As we shared last November, lockdowns, travel restrictions and the overall complications of a global pandemic meant their planned moves had to be delayed.

Things are now back on track and all continuing to go well, Anjalee will move in early March, and Burma in late April.

Both elephants will be accompanied by members of our extraordinarily dedicated elephant team. They will be staying on with them and will provide that familiar and reassuring presence as they work alongside their Australian colleagues to help fully settle them in as they meet their new family herds.

Anjalee and Burma have, of course, been oblivious to all the complications of Covid-19 and are continuing to thrive under the care and dedication of the elephant team – and are especially enjoying lots of swims and hose-downs in this hot humid weather!

Preparations are progressing well - including ongoing training sessions in their transport crates – to ensure that they feel super comfortable in them and will see them as their safe havens when they do travel.

If you’re visiting us soon, you might see these in action; and now and in the coming weeks is a great time to come and see them both to say a final farewell ahead of their trips across the Tasman.

We’ll be continuing to keep everyone updated about Anjalee and Burma, including once at they are at their new homes, so be sure to stay tuned.   

Video

Preparing Burma and Anjalee for their trans-Tasman travel

Our elephant team have been spending lots of time familiarising Burma and Anjalee with their individual travel crates, in preparation for their move. One of which was designed and made here in Auckland.