Monarto Safari Park Monarto Safari Park News 2025

[Luke899]

Apparently Monarto’s hotel is opening in 2025 soon. It backs onto the Samburu precinct, and has 2 pools. I think this is monartos answer to Dubbos glamping. They’re currently struggling to find an owner who can run this hotel.



Hopefully this will increase revenue, and funnel it towards important projects like the elephants and rhinos. I would love to see more funding towards getting this rhino import done!

 

[Trua]

Looks staggering. Might have to pop down for a visit when it opens. The interior design looks real nice and I imagine the view would be too!

 

[Zoofan15]

Pak Boon and Tang Mo arriving late March:

The arrival of these two Asian elephant cows follows on from Permai’s anticipated arrival later this month. It’s great to know Monarto will soon have all four cows on site; with Putra Mas following on later this year (all going well).

From Taronga’s socials:

Our mammoth move of Asian Elephants Tang Mo and Pak Boon to Monarto Safari Park is set for late March 2025.

Our dedicated Elephant Keepers have been hard at work training and conditioning Tang Mo and Pak Boon ahead of the big move. With the help of some positive words of encouragement, some favourtite food items, and the choice to enter, exit, and test the transport crates and their seatbelts, our Ele girls have been taking it in their strides.

 

[Jambo]

Permai Transfer Update:

Via email:

Female elephant Permai is almost ready to start her journey from Perth Zoo, her home of 32 years, to her new home at Monarto Safari Park.

Towards the end of January Permai will travel by road, in her specially designed travel crate that caters to every aspect of her welfare and animal management. The crate includes air conditioning, temperature gauges, cameras for constant monitoring, a 1000L water tank and constant access to food and water.

Following in the footsteps of Permai and Burma, Pak Boon and Tang Mo from Taronga Zoo Sydney will also be packing up their trunks in March to travel to Monarto Safari Park to join the herd.

 

[Zorro]

Permai Transfer Update:

Via email:

Female elephant Permai is almost ready to start her journey from Perth Zoo, her home of 32 years, to her new home at Monarto Safari Park.

Towards the end of January Permai will travel by road, in her specially designed travel crate that caters to every aspect of her welfare and animal management. The crate includes air conditioning, temperature gauges, cameras for constant monitoring, a 1000L water tank and constant access to food and water.

Following in the footsteps of Permai and Burma, Pak Boon and Tang Mo from Taronga Zoo Sydney will also be packing up their trunks in March to travel to Monarto Safari Park to join the herd.

Hopefully they will become great friends and live out their days living in a cohesive herd.

 

[Zoofan15]

Permai Transfer Update:

Via email:

Female elephant Permai is almost ready to start her journey from Perth Zoo, her home of 32 years, to her new home at Monarto Safari Park.

Towards the end of January Permai will travel by road, in her specially designed travel crate that caters to every aspect of her welfare and animal management. The crate includes air conditioning, temperature gauges, cameras for constant monitoring, a 1000L water tank and constant access to food and water.

Following in the footsteps of Permai and Burma, Pak Boon and Tang Mo from Taronga Zoo Sydney will also be packing up their trunks in March to travel to Monarto Safari Park to join the herd.

Not long to go now!

I’m really looking forward to getting an insight into how Monarto manage the introductions of four elephants from three herds, beginning with the introduction of Burma to Permai.

It’ll be a great example of how husbandry knowledge is shared between zoos, with the keepers (while experts in elephant husbandry) will surely be consulting with facilities like the Smithsonian National Zoo, who have extensive experience in the introductions of adult elephants - including bonded pairs to existing herds.

 

[Luke899]

Some good news, they found a buyer. Opening in mid-late 2025.

Reason I'm posting this is because it means ZoosSA get a commission from Journey Beyond for each customer and booking, etc. Means more funding for the park and for finishing the development, specifically Wild Africa precinct.


Monarto Safari Park hotel bought buy Journey Beyond.

The nationally renowned tourism operator will take over the luxury accommodation in the safari park’s Wild Africa precinct.

The new operator of a luxury hotel at Monarto Safari Park has been named ahead of its opening next year.

Railway company Journey Beyond known for The Ghan, Indian Pacific, and Great Southern rail experiences will take over the hotel, which was completed earlier this year.

The five-star facility features 78 rooms, conference amenities, a restaurant and bar, two swimming pools and a day spa.

Also included in the operator agreement was the nearby Wild Africa Lodge, with 20 glamping tents and another conference centre and restaurant.

Entrepreneur Gerry Ryan OAM, who spearheaded the development and the safari park’s 2019 rebrand to appeal to international tourists, will maintain ownership of both properties.

More generally, Journey Beyond markets itself as providing “unforgettable Australian travel experiences”.



Zoos SA and Journey Beyond are expected to stage an event at the park to formally announce the acquisition early in 2025.

The rail operator has not yet indicated whether it would seek to build a railway station at Monarto so that guests could hop off the Overland and transfer directly into the safari park.

The interstate railway line does run directly along the park’s southern boundary.

At this stage, the closest station is in Murray Bridge, 11 kilometres away.

Monarto Safari Park welcomed more than 135,000 visitors in 2023-24, and was named South Australia's major tourist attraction of the year at the 2024 SA Tourism Awards.

 

[Zoofan15]

Burma update:

An update on how Burma is settling in and adjusting to the Australian wildlife:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national...n-side-as-burma-adjusts-to-australian-habitat

Best of all, the article notes Andrew Coers and two other Auckland Zoo staff (Corryn and Odin) have accepted permanent roles and therefore will be continuing to work with Burma long term. Their expertise has been invaluable to the Monarto project to date and this will be of immense benefit to Burma as she continues to adjust to life in SA and progresses to introductions with the other cows.

On a personal note, I’ve had some great conversations with both Andrew and Odin, so in addition to Burma, will miss seeing them both around Auckland Zoo. I wish them all the best at Monarto.

 

[Luke899]

Burma update:
Best of all, the article notes Andrew Coers and two other Auckland Zoo staff (Corryn and Odin) have accepted permanent roles and therefore will be continuing to work with Burma long term. Their expertise has been invaluable to the Monarto project to date and this will be of immense benefit to Burma.

That is so awesome can't wait to see their skills in action in managing and creating a great herd.

 

[Zoofan15]

That is so awesome can't wait to see their skills in action in managing and creating a great herd.

It seems like Andrew is optimistic the introductions won’t take long, which is encouraging to hear. Unrelated cows can take years to bond (and in some cases, fail to integrate); but their keepers know them inside out and clearly share our optimism they will be compatible based on their personalities and social backgrounds (in particular Burma and Permai lacking companionship for an extended period; with the latter showing clear signs of desiring having other elephants around.

I just wanted to highlight some notes about the complex:

Burma will soon have an extended barn to share with the other elephants for night quarters as well as yards and another four habitats which will be much more spacious than what she was used to in Auckland.

Once the new living quarters were finished, there would be bathing spaces as well as trees with pulleys for high feeding, he said.

The area has a walking track around it that visitors can use to get a good view for observing the elephants.

 

[Zoofan15]

Update on Permai’s arrival date:

Permai is days away from beginning her journey to Monarto.

John Lemon (Life Sciences Director of Perth Zoo) advises they’re watching the heat wave go through at the moment and once they have ideal conditions, that will be the day.

https://www.9news.com.au/videos/nat...journey-to-new-home/cm69n53hy000a0hrobtcygaty

 

[Babirusa]

Monarto's resort is opening in may, the video ad includes impala and african elephants, I wonder if the park plans to get these species

Monarto Safari Resort

 

[Zoofan15]

Monarto's resort is opening in may, the video ad includes impala and african elephants, I wonder if the park plans to get these species

Monarto Safari Resort

What an imaginative video. You’d think they’d have at least taken the time to ensure they got the right species of elephant to match what Monarto has.

There’s no way Monarto will import African elephant. Asian elephant are the focus species of the region and given the expense of holding elephants, Zoos SA would see no sense in allocating funds to importing African elephants on top of what they have.

 

[Luke899]

Monarto's resort is opening in may, the video ad includes impala and african elephants, I wonder if the park plans to get these species

Monarto Safari Resort

It was in a previous masterplan that the park wished to get African elephants, but that is all but a dream now since their asian counterparts have solidified their place at Monarto.

I think the cameraman/social media manager put this together with haste. I was researching this hotel yesterday and that website did not exist, and has just popped up in the last 24 hours. Clearly that video was put together quick.

They were probably trying to go for the "big-elephant-with-tusk" wow factor. I might write to them and let them know its the wrong species.

All they have to do is wait till Putra Mas arrives and take a video of him. Or, they can wait 6 months after his arrival and take a video with his re-grown tusks for a bigger wow factor.

 

[Zorro]

It was in a previous masterplan that the park wished to get African elephants, but that is all but a dream now since their asian counterparts have solidified their place at Monarto.

I think the cameraman/social media manager put this together with haste. I was researching this hotel yesterday and that website did not exist, and has just popped up in the last 24 hours. Clearly that video was put together quick.

They were probably trying to go for the "big-elephant-with-tusk" wow factor. I might write to them and let them know its the wrong species.

All they have to do is wait till Putra Mas arrives and take a video of him. Or, they can wait 6 months after his arrival and take a video with his re-grown tusks for a bigger wow factor.

That idea goes back quite a few years in fact, the idea was to import 6 (cows only) African elephants that were to be saved from a "cull operation". So it would appear they had no intention of breeding them unless they had further plans at a later date to import a captive bred male from an overseas zoo?.

 

[Luke899]

Hoping Permai might be more interested in the water hole then burma when she arrives, seems burma is a little unsure of it.

 

[Zoofan15]

Hoping Permai might be more interested in the water hole then burma when she arrives, seems burma is a little unsure of it.

Burma was never much of a fan of Auckland Zoo’s pool as she matured (she used it more when she was younger):

The end of Auckland Zoo’s elephant era

“Burma, on the other hand, is 38 and mature, and there’s always an aspect of trying to keep up with Anjalee. She’s not one to put herself in the pool often, but sometimes Anjalee will be playing in there and she’ll persuade her by calling to her, so Burma feels obligated to play with her in the pool. She’s just such a sweet and lovely elephant.”

While Melbourne’s adult elephants will take to the pool to cool down, it was always the calves on my visit who were never out of the pool.

It was in a previous masterplan that the park wished to get African elephants, but that is all but a dream now since their asian counterparts have solidified their place at Monarto.

I think the cameraman/social media manager put this together with haste. I was researching this hotel yesterday and that website did not exist, and has just popped up in the last 24 hours. Clearly that video was put together quick.

They were probably trying to go for the "big-elephant-with-tusk" wow factor. I might write to them and let them know its the wrong species.

All they have to do is wait till Putra Mas arrives and take a video of him. Or, they can wait 6 months after his arrival and take a video with his re-grown tusks for a bigger wow factor.

That idea goes back quite a few years in fact, the idea was to import 6 (cows only) African elephants that were to be saved from a "cull operation". So it would appear they had no intention of breeding them unless they had further plans at a later date to import a captive bred male from an overseas zoo?.

I’m so glad Monarto has ended up holding Asian elephants. Considering the small number of zoos in Australia holding elephants, it makes no sense to have three different regional populations (bearing in mind we currently have Indian/Sri Lankan elephants; and then Sumatran elephants at Australia Zoo, which will not be inter-bred with the other Asian subspecies).

If Monarto held a non-breeding ambassador herd of African elephants, they’d be taking up space that be dedicated to Asian elephants; and if Monarto remained the only holder, then a new bull would need to be imported at every new generation of cows should they have chosen to breed. It just wouldn’t be sustainable.

Dubbo did have three African cows, which have since passed, but moving the breeding herd of Asian elephants to Dubbo was inevitable; and was similarly the long term goal of Zoos Victoria from early on regarding Melbourne/Werribee.

 

[Luke899]

Burma was never much of a fan of Auckland Zoo’s pool as she matured (she used it more when she was younger):

The end of Auckland Zoo’s elephant era

“Burma, on the other hand, is 38 and mature, and there’s always an aspect of trying to keep up with Anjalee. She’s not one to put herself in the pool often, but sometimes Anjalee will be playing in there and she’ll persuade her by calling to her, so Burma feels obligated to play with her in the pool. She’s just such a sweet and lovely elephant.”

While Melbourne’s adult elephants will take to the pool to cool down, it was always the calves on my visit who were never out of the pool.

I mean shes kind of going into the water... two feet at least.


Maybe permai will persuade her in.

 

[Zorro]

I mean shes kind of going into the water... two feet at least.
View attachment 766638

Maybe permai will persuade her in.

Perhaps unsure about the soft mud? Perhaps more use to a concrete pool!

 

[Jaiden]

Since there have been no news about Permai today I think she would ether leave tonight or early morning tomorrow.