Perth Zoo Tricia the elephant

[Zoofan15]

Some sad news from Perth Zoo this evening:

Tricia the Elephant's health has "deteriorated rapidly" says Perth Zoo - ABC Perth

Tricia has suffered a rapid decline in health and is close to the end of her life. She is being assessed day by day by staff, who will make a decision of when it’s in her best interests to make that difficult decision. It appears we’re talking days rather than weeks.

Tricia is the oldest elephant in the region at an estimated 65 years of age.

 

[Abbey]

Some sad news from Perth Zoo this evening:

Tricia the Elephant's health has "deteriorated rapidly" says Perth Zoo - ABC Perth

Tricia has suffered a rapid decline in health and is close to the end of her life. She is being assessed day by day by staff, who will make a decision of when it’s in her best interests to make that difficult decision. It appears we’re talking days rather than weeks.

Tricia is the oldest elephant in the region at an estimated 65 years of age.

Sad news, for Tricia, Permai and all those keepers, volunteers and Perth Zoo regulars who have loved and worked with her. Seems a decision about Permai's future will need to be made sooner rather than later.

 

[Zoofan15]

Sad news, for Tricia, Permai and all those keepers, volunteers and Perth Zoo regulars who have loved and worked with her. Seems a decision about Permai's future will need to be made sooner rather than later.

Tricia’s death will mark the end of an era for Perth Zoo who first acquired this species 100 years ago in 1922. A bull was held at the zoo for a week in May 1922, before being transferred to Perry Bros Circus. A cow named Ranee arrived the following year in 1923 and lived at the zoo for 38 years until her death in December 1961.

The next step for Permai with regards to her welfare and long term needs will be foremost in her keeper’s minds second only to giving Tricia the dignified end she deserves.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

Tricia, one of their female Asian Elephants has died at the age of 65. It's the end of an era as it marks the beginning of the end for Perth Zoo's elephants.: Perth Zoo’s adored elephant Tricia passes away aged 65

 

[Zoofan15]

Tricia, one of their female Asian Elephants has died at the age of 65. It's the end of an era as it marks the beginning of the end for Perth Zoo's elephants.: Perth Zoo’s adored elephant Tricia passes away aged 65

Perth Zoo plan to build a guard post to honour Tricia’s memory:

Funded by donations in her memory, this will protect wild elephants as the one in Sumatra does in honour of Karta at Adelaide Zoo - a lasting legacy of a Western Australian icon:

We hope to build an elephant guard post in the Bukit Tigapuluh eco-system, in Tricia’s name. This will provide accommodation for rangers who work 24/7 to protect one of the last remaining herds of wild Sumatran Elephants. Together, we can create a lasting legacy - Perth Zoo

 

[steveroberts]

Oh Tricia, rest in peace sweetheart you did amazing in life and are very loved and fondly remembered by so many. Thanks for all the wonderful memories you gave, and just gladthat the last nearly 30 years of your life you were no longer stuck by yourself. You're gonna be missed greatly, but none more so than by Permai.


Found she has a wikipedia page: Tricia (elephant) - Wikipedia

 

[Zoofan15]

Oh Tricia, rest in peace sweetheart you did amazing in life and are very loved and fondly remembered by so many. Thanks for all the wonderful memories you gave, and just gladthat the last nearly 30 years of your life you were no longer stuck by yourself. You're gonna be missed greatly, but none more so than by Permai.

I guess time will tell with Permai. She apparently grieved for Teduh for a couple of weeks, while Tricia went into a depression for close to a year. Not having another female for companionship will surely be a strain on her as the keepers can’t be there 24/7 and life in a (albeit small) herd is all Permai has known since she arrived as a three year old.

There’s more detail in this article, which also mentions the zoo plan to donate Tricia’s body to the WA Musuem once Permai has had a chance to grieve: Larger than life: What will happen to Tricia and her Perth Zoo elephant family now?

 

[steveroberts]

@Zoofan15 Thanks bro

@tetrapod Tricia has passed

 

[Jambo]

I guess time will tell with Permai. She apparently grieved for Teduh for a couple of weeks, while Tricia went into a depression for close to a year. Not having another female for companionship will surely be a strain on her as the keepers can’t be there 24/7 and life in a (albeit small) herd is all Permai has known since she arrived as a three year old.

There’s more detail in this article, which also mentions the zoo plan to donate Tricia’s body to the WA Musuem once Permai has had a chance to grieve: Larger than life: What will happen to Tricia and her Perth Zoo elephant family now?

I guess it will be Perth’s decision what to do with Permai now. An export overseas could take years, and it’ll still be 18 months or so until Werribee will be ready to receive elephants.

The only options in the meantime are to either import Burma from Auckland, and keep the two together until a new home can be found for them (within the region or outside); or send her to Taronga, which for me seems the best option, if Taronga wish to continue breeding elephants. Taronga can still hold an amiable herd size, while still continuing to breed from one female which works best for them and their space limitations.

It’ll be foreseen what direction Perth chooses and what they deem best for Permai; but I hope is Permai is doing well.

 

[Elephantelephant]

I guess it will be Perth’s decision what to do with Permai now. An export overseas could take years, and it’ll still be 18 months or so until Werribee will be ready to receive elephants.

The only options in the meantime are to either import Burma from Auckland, and keep the two together until a new home can be found for them (within the region or outside); or send her to Taronga, which for me seems the best option, if Taronga wish to continue breeding elephants. Taronga can still hold an amiable herd size, while still continuing to breed from one female which works best for them and their space limitations.

It’ll be foreseen what direction Perth chooses and what they deem best for Permai; but I hope is Permai is doing well.

I don't think Taronga would be interested. When Burma's move to Australia was cancelled, Zoo Auckland announced that they were looking for a zoo overseas as she couldn't be accommodated in the region. It wouldn't make sense if Taronga didn't want Burma but Permai did.
A better solution seems to me to bring Burma to Perth or vice versa. It depends on how quickly Perth needs to make room. But I think that both Auckland and Perth are able to keep the elephants for a few more years, it's nothing urgent, so it would probably depend on an agreement there.

 

[Zoofan15]

I don't think Taronga would be interested. When Burma's move to Australia was cancelled, Zoo Auckland announced that they were looking for a zoo overseas as she couldn't be accommodated in the region. It wouldn't make sense if Taronga didn't want Burma but Permai did.
A better solution seems to me to bring Burma to Perth or vice versa. It depends on how quickly Perth needs to make room. But I think that both Auckland and Perth are able to keep the elephants for a few more years, it's nothing urgent, so it would probably depend on an agreement there.

I think the most likely outcome is for Burma to go to Perth. Perth didn’t have a fixed timeframe on phasing out their elephants (considering they were prepared for Tricia living up to the age of 70) when they made the statement in 2018 re. phasing them out. They’re focussed on other areas of the masterplan which don’t require the elephant exhibit to be bulldozed, so could easily accomodate Permai and Burma for the time being.

Given the stress of losing Tricia, Perth may even be glad to take on another female to give Permai companionship; while Auckland are one elephant down, one to go and were expected to have no elephants by the end of April this year. They’re keen to get things moving.

From here, negotiations could take place on whether to transfer the middle aged pair to Werribee; or export them to the US - with both options theoretically implementable by 2024.

 

[Jambo]

I don't think Taronga would be interested. When Burma's move to Australia was cancelled, Zoo Auckland announced that they were looking for a zoo overseas as she couldn't be accommodated in the region. It wouldn't make sense if Taronga didn't want Burma but Permai did.
A better solution seems to me to bring Burma to Perth or vice versa. It depends on how quickly Perth needs to make room. But I think that both Auckland and Perth are able to keep the elephants for a few more years, it's nothing urgent, so it would probably depend on an agreement there.

That’s true. I’m assuming this decision by Taronga was solely based on the fact that their future of holding elephants is up in the air, and with Dubbo reaching capacity, they wouldn’t risk the fact of adding an older, non reproductive female.

I think the best solution is sending Burma to Perth, who have space in the meantime. Auckland are keen to move Burma on where she can have companionship, and i’d be shocked if Perth and Auckland haven’t begun talks already. From Perth, it could easily be worked out whether they should be sent to the US or Werribee. Werribee is closest and easiest and I have no doubt the cows will be able to slot in, but it will all depend on Werribee accepting them.

 

[Zoofan15]

Interview with Perth Zoo’s Keepers on Tricia’s Final Days

In her final days, beloved Tricia the elephant spent precious time with her zoo keepers who have bravely shared their stories of the gentle giant with 7NEWS’ Susannah Carr.

Perth Zoo invited 7NEWS cameras into Tricia’s home during the lead-up to her death, so her final journey could be shared with those who have loved and cherished her for more than six decades.

Perth Zoo elephant Tricia’s precious last days with keepers

 

[tetrapod]

@Zoofan15 Thanks bro

@tetrapod Tricia has passed

Cheers mate. Was aware of the news. It was splashed surprisingly all over the ABC news website. I never worked with the eles so wasn't particularly close to Trich. However I never heard a bad word about her; not something one might say about many individuals! The zoo will be a different place when they all leave.

 

[Zoofan15]

Cheers mate. Was aware of the news. It was splashed surprisingly all over the ABC news website. I never worked with the eles so wasn't particularly close to Trich. However I never heard a bad word about her; not something one might say about many individuals! The zoo will be a different place when they all leave.

Perth Zoo have held elephants since 1922, so it'll be hard to imagine the zoo without them. Similar to Auckland Zoo, who have held them since 1923.

 

[steveroberts]

@tetrapod @Zoofan15 Yeah Tricia's memory will be as big as she was herself, the link with the news story with her and her keepers was really touching. Perth Zoo and Auckland Zoo will indeed feel very different without Elephants one day coming up fast, similar I suppose to how Adelaide Zoo must have felt very different over the last 30 years since the late Samorn was (tragically briefly) sent to Monarto in 1991. At the moment am feeling a lot for Permai and hope she has female Ele' company again soon. Its a real shame that an open range zoo was not established in Western Australia afterall as they could possibly of set up a state-of-the-art Asian Elephant home similar to Western Plains and what Werribee is developing.

 

[Zoofan15]

@tetrapod @Zoofan15 Yeah Tricia's memory will be as big as she was herself, the link with the news story with her and her keepers was really touching. Perth Zoo and Auckland Zoo will indeed feel very different without Elephants one day coming up fast, similar I suppose to how Adelaide Zoo must have felt very different over the last 30 years since the late Samorn was (tragically briefly) sent to Monarto in 1991. At the moment am feeling a lot for Permai and hope she has female Ele' company again soon. Its a real shame that an open range zoo was not established in Western Australia afterall as they could possibly of set up a state-of-the-art Asian Elephant home similar to Western Plains and what Werribee is developing.

It's a great shame that Perth Zoo were never able to breed this species. It would have surely put forward a stronger case for the establishment of an open range zoo, though ultimately this decision was made by other factors.

The loss of Tricia will be felt immensely by all who knew her. By virtue of being such a long lived species, combined with their charisma, there's only a handful of species that come close.

 

[steveroberts]

@Zoofan15 Absolutely, their personality and intelligence gives us humans a run for our money (needless to say a lot gentler a species than human beings on the whole)

 

[Zoofan15]

@Zoofan15 Absolutely, their personality and intelligence gives us humans a run for our money (needless to say a lot gentler a species than human beings on the whole)

They have such an in depth emotional capacity and share so many human traits it's impossible not to draw comparisons. One of the most endearing things about them is how excited they get about calves. Almost any cow will adopt a calf as part of her herd and one that's born into the herd causes even more excitement.

 

[Jambo]

@Zoofan15 Absolutely, their personality and intelligence gives us humans a run for our money (needless to say a lot gentler a species than human beings on the whole)

Being such a long lived and iconic and well known species, makes them incredibly popular within zoos. Even more so for zoos like Perth, who only hold a small herd of elephants.