Australian Asian Elephant Population 2025

[Jambo]

Update on Roi Yim's growth at Werribee:

It's a big moment for our favourite elephant Roi-Yim – who is sprouting his tusks.

“He’s getting some nice length on his tusks now,” zoo keeper Andrea Smith said.

“He’s starting to use them during play sessions with his sisters, and he’s also starting to use them to push his 4,500kg dad around too.”

The zoo says it’s essential to get the elephants socialising.

“The ‘social sessions’ between Roi-Yim and his dad Luk Chai are starting out gradually, with
his mother Mali and his siblings Aiyara and Kati close by for comfort,” she said.

“As Roi-Yim becomes more confident around his dad, he will eventually move in with him.”

Tusks on show for Roi-Yim

 

[Zoofan15]

Update on Roi Yim's growth at Werribee:

It's a big moment for our favourite elephant Roi-Yim – who is sprouting his tusks.

“He’s getting some nice length on his tusks now,” zoo keeper Andrea Smith said.

“He’s starting to use them during play sessions with his sisters, and he’s also starting to use them to push his 4,500kg dad around too.”

The zoo says it’s essential to get the elephants socialising.

“The ‘social sessions’ between Roi-Yim and his dad Luk Chai are starting out gradually, with
his mother Mali and his siblings Aiyara and Kati close by for comfort,” she said.

“As Roi-Yim becomes more confident around his dad, he will eventually move in with him.”

Tusks on show for Roi-Yim

Roi-Yim’s tusks are coming through nicely. I hope that unlike his sire, he retains his tusks into adulthood.

It’s also good that he’s spending increasing amounts of time with Luk Chai. It’ll be a minimum of two years before the next cohort of calves are born (more likely 3-5 years), by which time he would have all but completed his transition out of the matriarchal herd.

 

[OzZooJoy]

It’s also good that he’s spending increasing amounts of time with Luk Chai. It’ll be a minimum of two years before the next cohort of calves are born (more likely 3-5 years), by which time he would have all but completed his transition out of the matriarchal herd.

I was incredibly fortunate to be there in late July for about 90 minutes watching Luk Chai with the rest of the herd. He is such a calm bull, with all the calves following him where ever he went, Roi-Yim was especially keen to follow and mimic him. It did make it difficult for Luk Chai when he kept trying to mount a few a few of the girls, the calves would be right there and made it hard for him.
The rest of the heard were so calm too for most of it, but when they had enough of being mounted, they let him know. it was a bit heart breaking watching him running around not quite knowing why he was suddenly being rejected.

 

[Zoofan15]

I was incredibly fortunate to be there in late July for about 90 minutes watching Luk Chai with the rest of the herd. He is such a calm bull, with all the calves following him where ever he went, Roi-Yim was especially keen to follow and mimic him. It did make it difficult for Luk Chai when he kept trying to mount a few a few of the girls, the calves would be right there and made it hard for him.
The rest of the heard were so calm too for most of it, but when they had enough of being mounted, they let him know. it was a bit heart breaking watching him running around not quite knowing why he was suddenly being rejected.

Luk Chai is behaviourally a model bull. He began visiting his own sire as a juvenile and it was noted Gung didn’t mind having him visit, as long as he didn’t get in the way of his mating efforts.

The set up at Werribee is ideal in that Luk Chai can visit the matriarchal herd for social reasons, with the calves learning reproductive behaviour they can practice on each other. I’m optimistic that behavioural non-breeders will become close to obsolete within the region as a result (with Dubbo allowing their young elephants the same opportunities).

It’ll be interesting to see when Zoos Victoria plan for their next cohort of calves to be born. Roi-Yim would benefit from the company of another young bull; but Num-Oi will hopefully produce another female calf to strengthen her matriline; and it’d be nice if 15 year old Mali had a daughter next time to begin her own matriline. A son to Dokkoon, who has two daughters already, would be no bad thing in my opinion.

 

[Zorro]

Roi-Yim’s tusks are coming through nicely. I hope that unlike his sire, he retains his tusks into adulthood.

It’s also good that he’s spending increasing amounts of time with Luk Chai. It’ll be a minimum of two years before the next cohort of calves are born (more likely 3-5 years), by which time he would have all but completed his transition out of the matriarchal herd.

Its going to very interesting after the next cohort of calfs arrive the dynamics among 12 elephants is going to give them a Lot of stimulation for the whole group to see them function as a real large family herd of mothers and grand mothers in such a large exhibit should bring out more complex behaviour that never been seen before under the cramped conditions at Melbourne zoo.
Hopefully if we see 3 calfs at least another 2 females would be ideal.
I also hope that they let Roi-Yims tusks grow as big as possible, when the public see an adult bull with a impressive set of tusks it does impress the public and leaves an impression.

 

[Zoofan15]

Its going to very interesting after the next cohort of calfs arrive the dynamics among 12 elephants is going to give them a Lot of stimulation for the whole group to see them function as a real large family herd of mothers and grand mothers in such a large exhibit should bring out more complex behaviour that never been seen before under the cramped conditions at Melbourne zoo.
Hopefully if we see 3 calfs at least another 2 females would be ideal.
I also hope that they let Roi-Yims tusks grow as big as possible, when the public see an adult bull with an impressive set of tusks it does impress the public and leaves an impression.

Bong Su at Melbourne Zoo was a truly majestic bull and I can see a lot of him in his grandson Roi-Yim. He surely has the makings of an impressive bull.

Observing the birth and raising of the next cohort of calves will be invaluable experience for Aiyara and Kati. While I would prefer to see the elephant herd breeding at natural birth intervals (three years), it’s fair to say that artificially extending that interval to 5-6 years will ensure these young cows will be better placed to retain the lessons they learn around rearing calves, not to mention, be in a position to offer practical assistance to the mothers.

With two distinct matrilines, it’ll be interesting to see if Aiyara and Kati spend the majority of their time with their new siblings; or whether they’ll favour the company of their peers, who they can have more energetic interactions. Surely the latter for Roi-Yim, with Aiyara and Kati perhaps in between. Aiyara (in contrast to Kati) has Roi-Yim in her matriline, so my assumption is Kati will spend the most time with her sibling out of all three current juveniles.

 

[Nile Hippo Expert]

Update on Roi Yim's growth at Werribee:

It's a big moment for our favourite elephant Roi-Yim – who is sprouting his tusks.

“He’s getting some nice length on his tusks now,” zoo keeper Andrea Smith said.

“He’s starting to use them during play sessions with his sisters, and he’s also starting to use them to push his 4,500kg dad around too.”

The zoo says it’s essential to get the elephants socialising.

“The ‘social sessions’ between Roi-Yim and his dad Luk Chai are starting out gradually, with
his mother Mali and his siblings Aiyara and Kati close by for comfort,” she said.

“As Roi-Yim becomes more confident around his dad, he will eventually move in with him.”

Tusks on show for Roi-Yim

Great to see him getting along with his dad fine, zoos in North America almost never have these interactions between calves sires/other mature bulls!

 

[Zoofan15]

Great to see him getting along with his dad fine, zoos in North America almost never have these interactions!

It became recognised in Australian zoos as important to social development following the birth of the first calf in 2009. Luk Chai at Taronga spent a lot of time with his sire, Gung; and at Melbourne, Bong Su met his offspring Mali, Ongard and Man Jai at around 12 months old.

Ongard was spending a significant amount of time with Bong Su by the time he was exported.

 

[Jambo]

With two distinct matrilines, it’ll be interesting to see if Aiyara and Kati spend the majority of their time with their new siblings; or whether they’ll favour the company of their peers, who they can have more energetic interactions. Surely the latter for Roi-Yim, with Aiyara and Kati perhaps in between. Aiyara (in contrast to Kati) has Roi-Yim in her matriline, so my assumption is Kati will spend the most time with her sibling out of all three current juveniles.

Aiyara and Roi are certainly the closest out of the current trio; likely due to them being from the same matriline, but also being the most energetic, outgoing and social of the three calves. Roi was far more quiet and wary early on, but he's long since grown out of that and is now often by Aiyara's side, exploring and socialising with all the elephants. I'm not surprised to hear these two have been following their father around the exhibit. It's not uncommon to find Aiyara and Roi wandering off doing their own thing, whilst Kati usually sticks by her mums side but will join in with the other two every now and again.

My guess is that long term, Kati will be the closest to her mum (Num Oi), and any subsequent offspring Num Oi produces. Aiyara will likely socialise with everyone (as she does now), and by the time the next cohort is born, Roi will have moved out (almost permanently - only visiting every now and then like his father currently does).

Ongard was spending a significant amount of time with Bong Su by the time he was exported.

From the age of about three, Ongard essentially transitioned out of the matriarchal herd and was spending most of his days with his sire. Roi's the same age now, so it's no surprise Werribee have begun to facilitate this. Ongard was only in with Bong Su for a few years. By 2016 ish, Ongard was more than often kept on his own. I'm not sure why - but it was good to see that Ongard later spent a lot of time with Dahlip (the bull at Miami), before his death.

 

[Zoofan15]

Orana has the space to house elephants, and only lacks the funds. Should this latter point change in the future, Orana would be the best place in NZ to house elephants, whether surplus from Australia or orphans from Sri Lanka.

Funds allowing (and I acknowledge that’s a pretty big if), this would present an ideal opportunity to establish a bachelor facility within the region.

Transfers (especially overseas) aren’t taken lightly and it would make sense for the (lone) New Zealand facility to import elephants on a one way ticket i.e. bulls that we can near conclusively say won’t be needed for future breeding.

At this stage, we could allocate this status to Sabai and Roi-Yim with total confidence neither will be needed for breeding in the future:

1.0 Sabai (02/11/2016) Gung x Thong Dee
1.0 Roi-Yim (25/11/2022) Luk Chai x Mali

Potentially Luk Chai also following him siring the next cohort, though he would still have value as a mentor bull.

 

[ElephasMaximus]

Funds allowing (and I acknowledge that’s a pretty big if), this would present an ideal opportunity to establish a bachelor facility within the region.

Transfers (especially overseas) aren’t taken lightly and it would make sense for the (lone) New Zealand facility to import elephants on a one way ticket i.e. bulls that we can near conclusively say won’t be needed for future breeding.

At this stage, we could allocate this status to Sabai and Roi-Yim with total confidence neither will be needed for breeding in the future:

1.0 Sabai (02/11/2016) Gung x Thong Dee
1.0 Roi-Yim (25/11/2022) Luk Chai x Mali

Potentially Luk Chai also following him siring the next cohort, though he would still have value as a mentor bull.

Yes, I should have added that even if Orana does become able to house elephants in the near future, it's likely to be only as a bachelor facility, and that's if Australia needs to offload surplus bachelor males. Lotta ifs in that statement.

 

[Zorro]

Update on Roi Yim's growth at Werribee:

It's a big moment for our favourite elephant Roi-Yim – who is sprouting his tusks.

“He’s getting some nice length on his tusks now,” zoo keeper Andrea Smith said.

“He’s starting to use them during play sessions with his sisters, and he’s also starting to use them to push his 4,500kg dad around too.”

The zoo says it’s essential to get the elephants socialising.

“The ‘social sessions’ between Roi-Yim and his dad Luk Chai are starting out gradually, with
his mother Mali and his siblings Aiyara and Kati close by for comfort,” she said.

“As Roi-Yim becomes more confident around his dad, he will eventually move in with him.”

Tusks on show for Roi-Yim

This is wonderful news that Roi-Yim has gained so much confidence it only seemed a short while ago that he appeared to cry every time he lost sight of his mother. Having a adult mentor bull there certainly is an advantage!

 

[Zoofan15]

This is wonderful news that Roi-Yim has gained so much confidence it only seemed a short while ago that he appeared to cry every time he lost sight of his mother. Having an adult mentor bull there certainly is an advantage!

Roi-Yim was initially very behind his half-sisters in confidence. When I visited in November 2023, when they were 10-12 months old, the female calves would regularly take themselves off to play in the pool, while Roi-Yim remained with his mother.

I’ve heard some people theorise Roi-Yim’s demeanor was attributed to him being born early; but mostly I’m of the opinion it was down to Mali’s parenting style. She’s a first time mother and was overly protective in the first year or so. Compare this to Dokkoon, who is raising her third calf and even with Mali, had a relaxed parenting style.

Since moving to the Werribee exhibit, it’s only natural all three calves will want to explore what is an endlessly stimulating environment. I would also attribute Roi-Yim’s confidence to his status as a bull calf - not only has he overtaken the female calves in size, his testosterone levels will have increased significantly.

 

[Jambo]

Re. Thong Dee potentially moving to Monarto;

I honestly doubt they would eventually move Thong Dee across. The main reason being that they wouldn't want to interrupt the current social dynamics that are being established. Even if they transfer her across in say, a years time, Monarto will be running the risk of her coming in and throwing a spanner in the works.

Monarto's main goal is to have all cows currently on site integrated successfully - and I just don't see them putting that in jeopardy by acquiring another cow, who is a dominant cow herself and already has connections to two of the cows. What that could mean is anyone's guess, but I just don't foresee Monarto taking such a risk to potentially undo what, at that point, they would have worked so hard to achieve.

 

[Jambo]

Only time has the answer.

Honestly the Monarto management has not been clear about their intentions to breed. Granted, they may be keeping the cards close to their chest in case of disappointment. But having a third holder actively breeding Asians will greatly benefit Australia and the world especially with Putra Mas' genetics.

I'm told that Monarto intend to breed from Putra Mas, although their short term goal is to indeed have the cows successfully integrated with one another first. However long that takes will ultimately end up deciding whether breeding with Pak Boon is viable though.

 

[Zoofan15]

I'm told that Monarto intend to breed from Putra Mas, although their short term goal is to indeed have the cows successfully integrated with one another first. However long that takes will ultimately end up deciding whether breeding with Pak Boon is viable though.

@Swanson02 was also previously advised that Putra Mas being used as an AI donor and then his sons coming to Monarto had been floated as an alternative (should Pak Boon not conceive).

Even if it’s not as linear as that (for one, any bull calves may have breeding application depending on their mother e.g. Num-Oi), I know none of us would be surprised to see Monarto transition into a bachelor facility long term.

 

[Jambo]

An update on the Werribee elephants - and their settling in to the new complex.

 

[Zorro]

An update on the Werribee elephants - and their settling in to the new complex.

This is just excellent to see this herd thriving like this is a wonderful sight to see, The 3 babies clearly are doing so well in this environment, The Melbourne zoo have done a truly outstanding job of the whole project, this would have to be one of the best elephant exhibits in the zoo world.
I like the way they do their own thing and go to different areas as they please which is so much better than the hands on controlled lives they had at the Melbourne zoo exhibit.
I believe the only way for their lives to gain more from their daily lives is when the herd delivers the next cohort of calfs the extra numbers will give them even more opportunities for inaction among themselves. Dubbo should pay close attention to this exhibit and lean from this!

 

[Zoofan15]

This is just excellent to see this herd thriving like this is a wonderful sight to see, The 3 babies clearly are doing so well in this environment, The Melbourne zoo have done a truly outstanding job of the whole project, this would have to be one of the best elephant exhibits in the zoo world.
I like the way they do their own thing and go to different areas as they please which is so much better than the hands on controlled lives they had at the Melbourne zoo exhibit.
I believe the only way for their lives to gain more from their daily lives is when the herd delivers the next cohort of calfs the extra numbers will give them even more opportunities for inaction among themselves. Dubbo should pay close attention to this exhibit and lean from this!

I agree Werribee have set the bar high for zoos worldwide with this complex and I don’t anticipate any zoo in the region will match it for many decades. Any new holder that emerges within the region would likely hold a couple of bachelor bulls at best; and Monarto would need to take an expansion of their facilities, which they have neither the need or finances to do at this point.

Watching the calves (two of which turned three years old last month; one of which turns three years old next month) running around, I couldn’t help but think how amazing it would have been if their mothers had been allowed to breed at natural birth intervals and were delivering their next calves around now.

Nonetheless, with the elephants approaching the anniversary of their transfer to Werribee, it’s fair to say they’ve settled in and attention will presumably turn to breeding again. I’ve long predicted a conceive in 2026, calves in 2028 plan, which would tie in with Roi-Yim all but transitioned out of the herd and the female calves well placed to benefit from observing the raising of the new calves.

 

[Zorro]

I just saw a new video of the two young bulls at the Sydney zoo on their Facebook page both bulls are looking real chunky the keeper said in his talk that the one standing next to him is 3.5 ton at ten years. I believe they could contribute a lot in the future breeding within the region! @Zoofan15