Govind Tekale
For the first time since it opened at its original site in Moore Park in 1886, Taronga Zoo no longer has elephants in its care. Tang Mo, 26, and Pak Boon, 33, left their Sydney harbor home yesterday for a new life at Monarto Safari Park in South Australia, marking the end of an era for the iconic zoo.
The Asian elephants began their 22-hour journey after months of careful preparation. Both animals voluntarily walked into their custom-built travel crates before being lifted by crane onto trucks. “We’re really excited to meet the girls and get to know their personalities,” said Monarto Safari Park elephant keeper Tess Stevens.
This move is part of a larger plan to create a stronger social group. Tang Mo and Pak Boon will join Burma from Auckland Zoo and Permai and Putra Mas from Perth Zoo at Monarto. Taronga Zoo senior elephant keeper Ian Gleichman explained, “These guys are going to form another social herd, and so they’re going to get that extra social behavior that they need.”
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The elephants gain significant space in their new home. Monarto Safari Park built a 14-hectare habitat for the growing elephant group – vastly larger than their previous Sydney enclosure. This expansive area includes varied terrain, vegetation, mud wallows, and waterholes where the elephants can roam, forage, and socialize naturally.
The relocation addresses critical conservation needs for Asian elephants, which are endangered in the wild. This move is “a huge moment for conservation in this country,” as stated in the source. Creating this new breeding herd strengthens the Australasian regional breeding program aimed at maintaining genetic diversity and serving as insurance against further wild population declines.
The transition required extensive planning. Both elephants underwent months of crate training to ensure they remained calm during transport. Keepers who formed strong bonds with Tang Mo and Pak Boon accompanied them to help ease the adjustment. Their gradual introduction to Burma and Permai, who already call Monarto home, will happen under expert supervision.
While Sydney visitors will no longer see elephants at Taronga Zoo, the Taronga Conservation Society Australia still manages a breeding herd at its Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, NSW. For South Australians, the arrival represents an exciting addition to Monarto Safari Park, where visitors will soon witness the elephants exploring their new environment and forming social bonds with their herd members.
