Monarto Safari Park Monarto Safari Park News 2024

@Tigergal

Both species are costly, but Zoos SA is rather than 'splitting hairs' over the cost comparitevly over the two species is going to have and look after both; one at each of their zoos. They've made the decision for Adelaide to (keep going with) have(ing) Giant Pandas and hopefully have some cubs born from them afterall; and while an expensive undertaking to keep them and maintain them to their comfort, personal '2c worth' opinion is it's a really worthwhile decision for a small but significant city zoo like Adelaide to go with; while Monarto is fantastic for Asian Elephants in their ideal spatial needs of housing (yeah the climate is dry as you mentioned points above and good point about some Asian Eles' actually living in said environments sometimes which is great, think they will live well there though, Permai and Putra Mas have been living in a dry part of the world for 32 years now, Perth being a dry climate place).
 
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Further Elephant Updates

It’s open to interpretation, but mention of a family herd hints at the possibility of breeding.

From socials:

Asian elephant Burma continues to explore her wider habitat and is really enjoying her watering hole!

Having completed her quarantine last week, Burma is settling in beautifully and growing more and more confident in her new environment. Permai from Perth Zoo will join Burma in late January, with a thoughtful introduction process to help them build trust and natural bonds over time.

The 12-hectare elephant habitat was carefully designed to support the complex social dynamics and well-being of the herd — waterholes, shade, foraging areas, and ample space to roam. This project is part of a larger conservation effort to create a new family herd, reflecting the natural social bonds elephants thrive on.

With more elephants joining Burma and Permai in 2025, including Pak Boon and Tang Mo from Taronga Zoo, and Putra Mas also from Perth Zoo, the future of Asian elephants here at Monarto Safari Park looks bigger and brighter than ever!

Article from website:

The next steps for Monarto Safari Park's Asian elephant herd - Monarto Safari Park

It appears none of Burma’s keepers will be remaining at Monarto indefinitely; but will of course remain on site until she’s sufficiently settled.
 
steveroberts said:
@Tigergal

Both species are costly, but Zoos SA is rather than 'splitting hairs' over the cost comparitevly over the two species is going to have and look after both; one at each of their zoos. They've made the decision for Adelaide to (keep going with) have(ing) Giant Pandas and hopefully have some cubs born from them afterall; and while an expensive undertaking to keep them and maintain them to their comfort, personal '2c worth' opinion is it's a really worthwhile decision for a small but significant city zoo like Adelaide to go with; while Monarto is fantastic for Asian Elephants in their ideal spatial needs of housing (yeah the climate is dry as you mentioned points above and good point about some Asian Eles' actually living in said environments sometimes which is great, think they will live well there though, Permai and Putra Mas have been living in a dry part of the world for 32 years now, Perth being a dry climate place).
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Not sure I was the intended tagee for this comment, but 100% agree ☺️
 
Steve Robinson said:
Are rakes the new ankus?
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It's interesting as I noticed this too. It certainly wasn't this case at Auckland, so perhaps it's because there's new Monarto keepers there too? I'm not entirely sure.

The goal was for her to move to protective contact eventually although I'm not sure at which stage this will be; potentially after the Taronga cows arrive and all are integrated together.
 
Jambo said:
It's interesting as I noticed this too. It certainly wasn't this case at Auckland, so perhaps it's because there's new Monarto keepers there too? I'm not entirely sure.

The goal was for her to move to protective contact eventually although I'm not sure at which stage this will be; potentially after the Taronga cows arrive and all are integrated together.
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It’s surprising to see Burma is in free contact. The decision may have been made to continue with this as coming to a new zoo at her age (after 34 years at Auckland Zoo) will be a big adjustment and they thought having her familiar keepers to help her navigate her new home would assist her in settling in.

Also bear in mind, she wasn’t originally going to be joined by the next elephant (Permai) until May 2025. Her keepers are clearly fulfilling that social role (the best they can) in the interim.
 
Luke899 said:
oh so they’re just using a rake to push Burma in the right direction. Yeah sounds much better then an ankus.
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I’m not aware of any zoo in the region using an ankus (also know as a bull hook) on their elephants.

Perth Zoo’s media and communications manager made this comment back in 2016:

Perth Zoo hits out at 'inflammatory and baseless' animal abuse accusations

However, Ms Henry also rubbished claims keepers would use bullhooks in order to lead its animals.

"We do not use 'bullhooks' as is being claimed. The elephant guides our staff use do not have a sharp point, but are blunted, and are used as a directional tool when needed," she said.
 
Zoofan15 said:
I’m not aware of any zoo in the region using an ankus (also know as a bull hook) on their elephants.

Perth Zoo’s media and communications manager made this comment back in 2016:

Perth Zoo hits out at 'inflammatory and baseless' animal abuse accusations

However, Ms Henry also rubbished claims keepers would use bullhooks in order to lead its animals.

"We do not use 'bullhooks' as is being claimed. The elephant guides our staff use do not have a sharp point, but are blunted, and are used as a directional tool when needed," she said.
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The 'sticks' that are mentioned are mainly what most of our regional zoos have been using for a while now.

Melbourne at least still used bullhooks around fifteen years ago. An incident involving Dokkoon came to light, and that evoked change towards using the blunt ended sticks.

In this case I'd imagine these keepers may just be using these rakes as a 'replacement' in the mean time. It's possible they just haven't brought their tools over. There's really no need when Burma will be moved into protected contact soon anyways.
 
Jambo said:
The 'sticks' that are mentioned are mainly what most of our regional zoos have been using for a while now.

Melbourne at least still used bullhooks around fifteen years ago. An incident involving Dokkoon came to light, and that evoked change towards using the blunt ended sticks.

In this case I'd imagine these keepers may just be using these rakes as a 'replacement' in the mean time. It's possible they just haven't brought their tools over. There's really no need when Burma will be moved into protected contact soon anyways.
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I was reading about that incident with Dokkoon this morning. It sounded awful. Many zoos have effectively trained their elephants without the use of bullhooks and protected contact is a seismic shift in elephant management altogether.

Protected contact is undoubtedly the way of the future. A retired elephant keeper at Wellington Zoo described the entire zoo as being the exhibit of elephants Kamala and Nirvana in the sense they were walked around in free contact; and Kashin and Burma experienced a similar life at Auckland.

The naturalistic and expansive 21ha and 14ha complexes at Werribee and Monarto will negate the need for keepers to act as the sole source of direction and enrichment in the elephants lives; a groundbreaking progression in welfare for this species.
 
I'll mention this here but I’ve decided to delay my upcoming visit to Monarto until late January, as it should provide the perfect opportunity to see both Burma and Permai together and potentially observe some of their first interactions following Permai's arrival.

My guess is that Permai will benefit way more from Burma’s presence than the other way around. I imagine Permai may seek a lot of reassurance and companionship, following Burma around the exhibit, while Burma, being her usual nonchalant self, might remain relatively indifferent but still somewhat engaging with Permai. In my opinion, Permai’s best chance for meaningful social fulfillment could come from the more energetic Tang Mo in another six or so months.

The only scenario where I could see Burma relying on Permai for support might be during her introductions to Putra Mas, given that Permai is already familiar with him, whereas Burma may have never encountered a mature bull before.

I’m also hoping the exhibit will be quieter in late January, allowing me to speak with a keeper and ask about Monarto’s plans for breeding—if there are any. If I were to speculate, I think Monarto will eventually aim to breed with Pak Boon, though not immediately. This carries significant risks, as her interbirth interval will/may already be too large. Conversely, Taronga may have carried out in-house tests and examinations of Pak Boon's reproductive tract and deemed that she still is capable of conceiving for another decade or so, allowing Monarto to take it slow in the first 2-5 years.

Alternatively, I wonder if Monarto might consider importing another cow. I don't know how many cows are available internationally, but Thong Dee seems the most likely regional candidate. Makes sense if she was not recommended for breeding at TWPZ if she was intended for transfer and the eventual conception of her last calf at Monarto in a couple of years.

Though I wonder if there’s any chance they might look further afield—perhaps even at Australia Zoo. It raises questions about how rigid AZ's agreement with Taman Safari is regarding maintaining the pure Sumatran subspecies. Could they, for example, transfer one of their middle two cows Cristina or Widya? Or even both? As they are half-sisters, maybe in a future exchange for Tang Mo and Pak Boon? This is if breeding with Pak Boon never eventuates.

If the breeding plans for Megawati(25) and Cristina(19) have been scrapped altogether (as I’ve been told), it might open the door for Monarto to bring in Cristina(19) and Widya(14) allowing them to conceive before their biological clock runs out. A single generic/Sumatran calf doesn’t rule out the possibility of either cow breeding with a Sumatran bull later in life.

It’s frustrating to think of four viable cows sitting at Australia Zoo with no breeding opportunities in sight. When I visited last year, I spoke with an English keeper who had previously worked at Sydney Zoo and was surprisingly knowledgeable about the region’s elephant population. He was aware of Melbourne’s pregnancies and Luk Chai’s role and mentioned that Sydney and TWPZ had recently talked about the Irish bulls and Pathi Harns management, this interconnectedness makes me wonder if Monarto has already begun exploring the future possibility of acquiring a cow or two from Australia Zoo.
 
Swanson02 said:
I'll mention this here but I’ve decided to delay my upcoming visit to Monarto until late January, as it should provide the perfect opportunity to see both Burma and Permai together and potentially observe some of their first interactions following Permai's arrival.

My guess is that Permai will benefit way more from Burma’s presence than the other way around. I imagine Permai may seek a lot of reassurance and companionship, following Burma around the exhibit, while Burma, being her usual nonchalant self, might remain relatively indifferent but still somewhat engaging with Permai. In my opinion, Permai’s best chance for meaningful social fulfillment could come from the more energetic Tang Mo in another six or so months.

The only scenario where I could see Burma relying on Permai for support might be during her introductions to Putra Mas, given that Permai is already familiar with him, whereas Burma may have never encountered a mature bull before.

I’m also hoping the exhibit will be quieter in late January, allowing me to speak with a keeper and ask about Monarto’s plans for breeding—if there are any. If I were to speculate, I think Monarto will eventually aim to breed with Pak Boon, though not immediately. This carries significant risks, as her interbirth interval will/may already be too large. Conversely, Taronga may have carried out in-house tests and examinations of Pak Boon's reproductive tract and deemed that she still is capable of conceiving for another decade or so, allowing Monarto to take it slow in the first 2-5 years.

Alternatively, I wonder if Monarto might consider importing another cow. I don't know how many cows are available internationally, but Thong Dee seems the most likely regional candidate. Makes sense if she was not recommended for breeding at TWPZ if she was intended for transfer and the eventual conception of her last calf at Monarto in a couple of years.

Though I wonder if there’s any chance they might look further afield—perhaps even at Australia Zoo. It raises questions about how rigid AZ's agreement with Taman Safari is regarding maintaining the pure Sumatran subspecies. Could they, for example, transfer one of their middle two cows Cristina or Widya? Or even both? As they are half-sisters, maybe in a future exchange for Tang Mo and Pak Boon? This is if breeding with Pak Boon never eventuates.

If the breeding plans for Megawati(25) and Cristina(19) have been scrapped altogether (as I’ve been told), it might open the door for Monarto to bring in Cristina(19) and Widya(14) allowing them to conceive before their biological clock runs out. A single generic/Sumatran calf doesn’t rule out the possibility of either cow breeding with a Sumatran bull later in life.

It’s frustrating to think of four viable cows sitting at Australia Zoo with no breeding opportunities in sight. When I visited last year, I spoke with an English keeper who had previously worked at Sydney Zoo and was surprisingly knowledgeable about the region’s elephant population. He was aware of Melbourne’s pregnancies and Luk Chai’s role and mentioned that Sydney and TWPZ had recently talked about the Irish bulls and Pathi Harns management, this interconnectedness makes me wonder if Monarto has already begun exploring the future possibility of acquiring a cow or two from Australia Zoo.
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That sounds like a good call. Not only will the complex have progressed further; but you’ll have the opportunity to observe a relatively infrequent occurrence of an elephant introduction. I look forward to your updates!

On the subject of the Australia Zoo cows, the region would never mix Sumatran with the other subspecies; as is the process observed in Europe and North America. Indian and Sri Lankan subspecies are commonly hybridised (as we’ve seen with Anjalee); but never Indian or Sri Lankan with Sumatran. You’re correct Australia Zoo discounted sometime ago breeding with their two older cows. They were talking of importing a bull to breed with the two younger cows, but it’s been several years now…

With regards to Monarto’s herd, it frustrates me they’re not planning to transfer over Thong Dee as you suggest. It’s difficult to imagine her breeding at Dubbo due to their capacity; and while she’s reasonably well represented, she’d be invaluable in establishing succession with the Monarto herd. Due to the challenges of introducing unrelated cows, I’d recommend Thong Dee over any other captive female in the world to join the incoming elephants.

Pak Boon is heading into the timeframe where I’d be concerned about her birth interval. Dokkoon conceived at the equivalent gap to where she is now to produce a calf without issue; but Pak Boon will be another year on by the time she (and the bull) is on site.
 
Swanson02 said:
I'll mention this here but I’ve decided to delay my upcoming visit to Monarto until late January, as it should provide the perfect opportunity to see both Burma and Permai together and potentially observe some of their first interactions following Permai's arrival.

My guess is that Permai will benefit way more from Burma’s presence than the other way around. I imagine Permai may seek a lot of reassurance and companionship, following Burma around the exhibit, while Burma, being her usual nonchalant self, might remain relatively indifferent but still somewhat engaging with Permai. In my opinion, Permai’s best chance for meaningful social fulfillment could come from the more energetic Tang Mo in another six or so months.

The only scenario where I could see Burma relying on Permai for support might be during her introductions to Putra Mas, given that Permai is already familiar with him, whereas Burma may have never encountered a mature bull before.

I’m also hoping the exhibit will be quieter in late January, allowing me to speak with a keeper and ask about Monarto’s plans for breeding—if there are any. If I were to speculate, I think Monarto will eventually aim to breed with Pak Boon, though not immediately. This carries significant risks, as her interbirth interval will/may already be too large. Conversely, Taronga may have carried out in-house tests and examinations of Pak Boon's reproductive tract and deemed that she still is capable of conceiving for another decade or so, allowing Monarto to take it slow in the first 2-5 years.

Alternatively, I wonder if Monarto might consider importing another cow. I don't know how many cows are available internationally, but Thong Dee seems the most likely regional candidate. Makes sense if she was not recommended for breeding at TWPZ if she was intended for transfer and the eventual conception of her last calf at Monarto in a couple of years.

Though I wonder if there’s any chance they might look further afield—perhaps even at Australia Zoo. It raises questions about how rigid AZ's agreement with Taman Safari is regarding maintaining the pure Sumatran subspecies. Could they, for example, transfer one of their middle two cows Cristina or Widya? Or even both? As they are half-sisters, maybe in a future exchange for Tang Mo and Pak Boon? This is if breeding with Pak Boon never eventuates.

If the breeding plans for Megawati(25) and Cristina(19) have been scrapped altogether (as I’ve been told), it might open the door for Monarto to bring in Cristina(19) and Widya(14) allowing them to conceive before their biological clock runs out. A single generic/Sumatran calf doesn’t rule out the possibility of either cow breeding with a Sumatran bull later in life.

It’s frustrating to think of four viable cows sitting at Australia Zoo with no breeding opportunities in sight. When I visited last year, I spoke with an English keeper who had previously worked at Sydney Zoo and was surprisingly knowledgeable about the region’s elephant population. He was aware of Melbourne’s pregnancies and Luk Chai’s role and mentioned that Sydney and TWPZ had recently talked about the Irish bulls and Pathi Harns management, this interconnectedness makes me wonder if Monarto has already begun exploring the future possibility of acquiring a cow or two from Australia Zoo.
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Yeah Burma is a very chilled out girl, and is content most of the time with her keepers Andrew and his wife. The obvious consensus for everyone involved now is Permai on the other hand is not as emotionally tough.

An the evidence for that is Burma rarely, or never shakes and sways, whilst permai shakes and sways violently. Totally agree, permai will much need this social time more then Burma.

Also, it would be worth you researching what opportunities you have to see the elephants at Monarto. You may only be able to see them from the bus that drives past, and for a short period. I haven’t seen anything that claims close-up encounters just yet, other than for donors who supported the fundraiser. Would be worth researching.
 
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Luke899 said:
Yeah Burma is a very chilled out girl, and is content most of the time with her keepers Andrew and his wife. The obvious consensus for everyone involved now is Permai on the other hand is not as emotionally tough.

An the evidence for that is Burma rarely, or never shakes and sways, whilst permai shakes and sways violently. Totally agree, permai will much need this social time more then Burma.

Also, it would be worth you researching what opportunities you have to see the elephants at Monarto. You may only be able to see them from the bus that drives past, and for a short period. I haven’t seen any evidence to support any close-up encounters just yet, other than donations from those who supported the fundraiser. Would be worth researching.
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Burma is certainly a very placid elephant that takes everything in her stride. Coming to New Zealand as an eight year old in 1990 must have been daunting, especially given Kashin gave her the cold shoulder for the best part of two years. They developed a good bond, but Burma certainly made the adjustment to living alone after Kashin’s passing in 2009, with the support of her keepers. It was heartwarming to see the instant rapport between Burma and Anjalee, following the latter’s arrival in 2015; but Auckland Zoo made a statement regarding the decision to send them to different zoos, saying while they had a good relationship; it wasn’t the type of relationship you’d observed between a closely bonded pair. The obvious example would be a mother and daughter; but outside of related lines, I’d assess Kulab and Num-Oi to be the closest friendship pairing in the region.

Compare Burma’s life history to Permai’s. Permai arrived as a three year old and was doted on by Tricia from the beginning. It’s reasonable to assume Permai has little to no memory of life without Tricia and so this would be an immense adjustment for her. I truly hope joining the Monarto herd will bring some joy back into life.
 
I visited Monarto yesterday to see Burma out on habitat for the first time having previously seen her a couple of times in her quarantine yard.

Now she is out on habitat the viewing area for the habitat has been opened. This runs from the black rhino viewing area around 2/3 of the habitat and connects back to the ridge track at the other end through a new crossing over the road way. Visitors can access the viewing area by getting off at the black rhino stop or walking the ridge track from either the chimpanzees or watering hole.

I spent almost an hour at the exhibit during most of this time Burma was up front with two of her keepers and less than 10m from the viewing area. She was fed some browse and then used one of the water pipes in the enclosure to give herself a bath.

The keepers were happy to chat with guests at the viewing area and answer any questions.

I did not see keepers holding rakes at any time. When they interacted with Burma they just used their hands. They did note that Burma is quite frightened of kangaroos to the point she will not enter the yard if there is kangaroo poo within it so they are having to rake this up every morning and again if kangaroos enter the habitat through the day.

At 3pm the viewing area is closed. The keepers also go inside at this point and while Burma has the option to stay out they noted she often follows so try and visit before this if looking to see her as the last few buses of the day would miss seeing her.
 
Sunbear12 said:
I visited Monarto yesterday to see Burma out on habitat for the first time having previously seen her a couple of times in her quarantine yard.

Now she is out on habitat the viewing area for the habitat has been opened. This runs from the black rhino viewing area around 2/3 of the habitat and connects back to the ridge track at the other end through a new crossing over the road way. Visitors can access the viewing area by getting off at the black rhino stop or walking the ridge track from either the chimpanzees or watering hole.

I spent almost an hour at the exhibit during most of this time Burma was up front with two of her keepers and less than 10m from the viewing area. She was fed some browse and then used one of the water pipes in the enclosure to give herself a bath.

The keepers were happy to chat with guests at the viewing area and answer any questions.

I did not see keepers holding rakes at any time. When they interacted with Burma they just used their hands. They did note that Burma is quite frightened of kangaroos to the point she will not enter the yard if there is kangaroo poo within it so they are having to rake this up every morning and again if kangaroos enter the habitat through the day.

At 3pm the viewing area is closed. The keepers also go inside at this point and while Burma has the option to stay out they noted she often follows so try and visit before this if looking to see her as the last few buses of the day would miss seeing her.
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Thanks for the update. :)

On the whole it sounds like Burma is settling in well. The update from Monarto mentioned her seeing kangaroos for the first time and it would indeed be a novelty to her. A Tiger by the Tail - a History of Auckland Zoo details how Jamuna the elephant took fright upon seeing a giraffe for the first time (when John the giraffe was imported from London Zoo in 1960) and took off across one of the lawns. Kangaroos are apparently no less daunting!

If you or anyone else who visits in the meantime gets chance to ask, I’d love to know if there is indeed intentions to breed from Pak Boon - including whether they’d consider AI if Putra Mas doesn’t mount her.
 
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