Auckland Zoo New Elephant Anjalee

zooboy28

zooboy28

Well-Known Member
Auckland Zoo's new elephant has been named as 8 year old Anjalee, who is currently flying to Auckland, before she will take another flight to Niue for 90 days quarantine and then head back to Auckland! I really hope this goes smoothly!

Auckland Zoo have set up a new webpage about the elephant: Elephant Anjalee is on her way

Elephant Anjalee is on her way
Friday, 13 March 2015

​​Auckland Zoo is delighted to announce that an eight-year-old Asian elephant named Anjalee has begun her journey to join the Zoo’s 32-year-old female elephant Burma. ​

Anjalee is the first of two elephants that will be coming to Auckland Zoo from Sri Lanka’s Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage; at 7 o’clock (NZT) she boarded an Emirates freighter plane in Colombo.

Following a 12-hour flight to Auckland Airport, she will continue the second leg of her journey on a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) C-130 Hercules to Niue, where she will be quarantined for a required 90-day period before coming to Auckland Zoo.

“It is with great excitement that we’re able to start telling everyone about Anjalee,” says Auckland Zoo director Jonathan Wilcken. “She is a lovely elephant and we believe will be a great companion for Burma. Everyone involved, especially our elephant team, have all worked tirelessly to make this happen. It’s been an enormously complex undertaking but we all believe so strongly that we can give Anjalee a great home, Burma a companion and continue to support important elephant conservation efforts in the wild.”

Auckland Zoo is working in partnership with Sri Lanka’s Department of National Zoological Gardens, who manage Pinnawala’s currently overcrowded elephant orphanage. Zoo staff have been working in cooperation with Pinnawala staff for the past six months to begin transitioning Anjalee to the Zoo’s world-renowned elephant programme.

Sir Don McKinnon, Chairman of Regional Facilities Auckland (which manages Auckland Zoo on behalf of Auckland Council), said he is delighted the elephant is finally on her way.

“We have worked closely with the Sri Lankan, Niue and New Zealand governments to facilitate this and I am grateful for the support we have received along the way. Anjalee will have a wonderful life at Auckland Zoo where she will be loved, protected and stimulated, as well as having the companionship of our revered matriarch Burma. I am proud of the fact the Zoo’s elephant programme is considered one of the world’s best,” Sir Don said.

Niue Premier, Toke Talagi, says the people of Niue are looking forward with great excitement to welcoming Anjalee to the island. Her presence is expected to boost Niue's growing tourism sector.

“Niue has worked closely with Auckland Zoo on this project, which is providing employment as well as educational opportunities. Our school children will be able to engage with Anjalee's keepers, and watch her train and exercise from a special viewing platform,” says Premier Talagi.

Children outside Niue will also be able to engage with Anjalee’s keepers, as Auckland Zoo will be posting regular updates online.

“We want to bring everyone along with us on this incredible journey to bring Anjalee to Auckland,” says director Jonathan Wilcken. “Sometimes people can feel removed from species and conservation issues that are not in their own backyard. However, species like elephants are just as much in need of their help. Elephants are extraordinarily powerful ambassadors for wildlife and the natural world, one of the many reasons we believe in the importance of ensuring elephants remain at Auckland Zoo.

“Auckland Zoo contributes over $1 million a year to help protect and conserve wildlife, and we are very grateful and proud to say that a large percentage of this conservation funding comes directly from each and every one of our visitors as part of their admission.”

Acknowledgements
Auckland Zoo wishes to sincerely thank Sri Lanka and the Department of National Zoological Gardens, Sri Lanka High Commission, Government of Niue, Auckland Airport, the Ministry for Primary Industries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand High Commission Delhi, New Zealand High Commission Niue, the respective Honorary Consuls of Sri Lanka and New Zealand, Department of Conservation, Auckland Council and Regional Facilities Auckland.

A special thank you also goes to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) for flying Anjalee to Niue and later to Auckland, as part of their Pacific training and engagement.
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exciting! It is finally happening after all these years. I expect a surge in visitor numbers at the zoo too, when she arrives and goes on show.

There's a photo of her (well, presumably it is of her) on zooboy28's link.
 
But 'The Zoo's World Renowned Elephant Programme'... are they really referring to Auckland Zoo with that?:confused:
 
Pertinax said:
But 'The Zoo's World Renowned Elephant Programme'... are they really referring to Auckland Zoo with that?:confused:
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Sounds like a hyperbole to me. In my opinion, a world renowned elephant programme would suggest:

-Regular, successful breeding (Melbourne, Whipsnade?)
-A world class exhibit with ground breaking innovation and/or architechture
-A behavioural management programme replicated by zoos worldwide
-International fame/acclaim

I should refrain from making judgement however when Auckland Zoo will soon have two more elephants than I ever will. I'm sure they're doing the best they can with the resources they have. :p
 
Agreed, yet it is a small step on the way to making Auckland Zoo an elephant breeding institution. After quite a number of years without any progress on Y/N elephants, it is something to rejoice!

Having said that, I do agree this elephant facility really needs further female elephants in a social herd structure and (eventually) a bull elephant for breeding.

Ideally, the further female elephants I refer to should ideally come from the Pinnewala facility - which is indeed quite overcrowded with elephants as it is (and I cannot understand quite why this is not being addressed as adequately as it should - hence I think / feel sending any elephants to zoos outside Sri from the facility really is not a bad thing (and given the support they could get off zoos elsewhere both in kind and in funding) -.

Bulls are - BTW - easily to be acquired from European zoos (on this Continent we have quite a few to spare). So, indeed as far as I am concerned the next priority for Auckland is A) integrate the new female with the local fave (if that works … is anybody's guess) and B) acquire preferably 1-2 further female elephants to set up a natural - if unnatural by setting it up on non-familiar lines - herd structure for Asiatic elephants at Auckland.
Kudos to them!
 
I'm not suggesting they won't breed Elephants in the future but to make a claim like that while they have just one Elephant seems totally unrealistic to me. It is just a ridiculous statement to make(IMO).
 
It is like calling a theme park with only two rides a world renowned theme park.

I do hope Auckland takes the oppotunity to establish a breeding herd (they've only ever had a maximum of two elephants) and that they are successful in doing so.

Kifaru Bwana makes a good point on bringing in further females from Pinnewala. They are very overcrowded and our problem could solve there's by freeing up space. The two female calves in our region, Mali and Tukta, will most likely remain with their mothers to replicate the natural situation in the wild.

As mentioned, while the bulls from Europe cannot currently be imported, we have surplus bulls in Australia. With a new facility just built to house Luk Chai and Pathi Harn from Taronga Zoo, and Melbourne Zoo's younger male (2013), years away from breeding, the five year old, Ongard, could be a more likely option.
 
The following interview with head of life sciences, Kevin Buley confirms that plans are underway for a second female elephant to be imported in 2016 and they will likely use AI to produce Anjalee's first calf further down the line:

Auckland Zoo says Niueans and tourists to Niue will soon be able to visit an elephant currently quarantined on the island.

Eight-year old Anjalee travelled from an elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka on a chartered commercial airline to Auckland where she was loaded onto an Air Force Hercules for Niue.

The Zoo's Head of Life Sciences, Kevin Buley, told Jenny Meyer he was with her for the whole journey which she coped very well with and she's now sleeping and eating in her purpose built compound on Niue adjusting to her new environment.

He says the Niuean public will be able to meet the elephant from next week until she leaves again for Auckland to join the older pachyderm Burma in June.

KEVIN BULEY: The six months of quarantine that she's undergone have basically guaranteed that she's not carrying any diseases of concern. However it's a legal requirement of MPI here in New Zealand that she'll need to be quarantined in a third country against foot and mouth disease and it's primarily to protect New Zealand's agricultural export industry which is worth many millions of dollars. So there's no actual risk, but it's a legal requirement for her to be quarantined elsewhere against foot and mouth disease. Now Niue's an ideal location in that sense because one, there's one there is no risk of foot and mouth, but two, Niue does not have an agricultural export industry so the risk of any effect there is negligible.

JENNY MEYER: So for you what do you think has been the most rewarding aspect of this whole journey so far with the new elephant?

KB: It's been an incredibly long journey which started long before Kashin died. To get to this point now, we have an elephant secure in Niue, the people in Niue can enjoy her for three months and then we can bring her to the zoo and start to really establish the elephant family here at the zoo that we've wanted to do for so long. The fact that we're now a long way down hat path is incredibly rewarding and we know that that's what the people of Auckland want, it's the best thing for Burma here at the zoo and we'll be able to provide a life for Anjalee that's really better than she was ever going to be able to experience in Sri Lanka.

JM: So are you hoping that she might breed in Auckland?

KB: Absolutely. So we're hoping that as a young female elephant she'll be ready for breeding in a couple of years time. We'll be looking to do that to help build the numbers here at the zoo and create a family herd.

JM: And who will the partner be? Burma or the new elephant?

KB: So Burma is a female, and Anjalee's a female, and the third elephant will also be a female. So Anjalee will be initially breed using artificial insemination techniques which are widely used around the world's zoo's which allow enable the best genetic diversity to be maintained within populations.

JM: Do elephants usually just have one embryo at a time or do they ever have twins?

KB: 99% of the time an elephant will give birth to one calf and obviously we're hoping for a happy and healthy calf here in a couple of years time here at the zoo.

JM: And a long gestation, so you've got to wait two years for the IVF and then how long for a birth if you're successful with implantation?

KB: Well, yea the gestation period is a long time to keep your fingers crossed as it is over a year, but then that's how long it takes to cook a baby elephant basically.

JM: So maybe 2018?

KB: Where are we now? 2015? Yea so 2018/2019 we would be looking for the sound of little elephant feet.

Kevin Buley says there are plans for another orphaned elephant to make the same trip in 2016.
Elephant orphan quarantined on Niue till June | Dateline Pacific, 4:00 pm on 19 March 2015 | Radio New Zealand
 
Yeah so 2018/2019 we would be looking for the sound of little elephant feet.
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This would mean Anjalee will be 12 if she has her first calf in 2018. Not bad. Let's hope they can get these plans underway and are successful in doing so.
 
I'm also impressed with Auckland Zoo's coverage and updates on Anjalee. I was previously concerned about how a new elephant would bond with Burma, especially if the new animal was approaching maturity, as in Anjalee's case, however having heard about the effort Auckland Zoo have put into selecting a suitable elephant to join Burma, I have every faith they will be compatible. I wish them all the best.

In the mean time, does anyone know details on the elephant due to arrive next year? I know one was previously identified (along with Anjalee) but I believe that animal has since been discounted due to health reasons. Can anyone confirm?
 
Zoofan15 said:
I was previously concerned about how a new elephant would bond with Burma, especially if the new animal was approaching maturity, as in Anjalee's case, however having heard about the effort Auckland Zoo have put into selecting a suitable elephant to join Burma, I have every faith they will be compatible.
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Whatever their selection process, I don't think they can guarantee they'll be compatable until they meet. But given this new female is much younger, there is a very good chance, particularly as the resident Auckland female is probably missing Elephant company. But sometimes odd things happen.
 
Anjalee now at Auckland Zoo

Anjalee has completed her quarantine in Niue, and has been flown back to Auckland, and is now at Auckland Zoo. Introductions to Burma will begin shortly, and hopefully both will be on display in the near future.

Story, photos & video here: Auckland Zoo's new elephant Anjalee arrives at new home | Stuff.co.nz

There may as well have been a red carpet, such was the celebrity of Anjalee's arrival at Auckland Zoo on Sunday evening.

The eight-year-old Asian elephant handled the moment like a pro, posing briefly in front of the cameras before keepers Andrew and Corryn Coers led her to the privacy of her new accommodation.

That 50 metre walk of fame from her crate to the warmth of the elephant barn was the culmination of five years of planning involving agencies as diverse as Sri Lanka's Department of National Zoological Gardens, the Government of Niue, the New Zealand High Commission in Delhi and the Ministry of Primary Industries.

It would seem moving a 1.7 tonne pachyderm from one side of the planet to another is not as simple as you would think.

Zoo director Jonathan Wilcken was elated as media lined him up in the chilly evening air for interview after interview. "I'll do anything tonight," he joked.

Anjalee has flourished since leaving a Sri Lankan elephant orphanage in March, putting on weight thanks to the tropical abundance of Niue where she has been in quarantine.

Now the big question is will she get on with Burma, the zoo's 32-year-old existing elephant who has been on her own since her old companion Kashin died?

The pair will be introduced gradually, although elephant communication is so sophisticated that they would have been aware of each other even as Anjalee sat outside in her crate waiting to be craned into the enclosure, zoo staff say.

Early signs are positive, with Burma reportedly continuing to munch on snacks inside the barn despite all the commotion outside.

The zoo is spending $3.2 million on the project to start its own elephant herd, and it will be hoping for big things - a boost in visitor numbers, greater awareness of wildlife conservation, and eventually, baby elephants.
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As Anjalee gets used to chilly Auckland after the heat of Sri Lanka and Niue, she has no idea of the hopes riding on her.
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Anjalee has explored her outdoor exhibit today, and so has now been seen by visitors. Update from the Zoo's Facebook page (there are photos there too):

Elephant Anjalee explored her new home this morning and some lucky zoo visitors were there to see her for the first time.

Anjalee will have access to the outside paddock at various times over the coming weeks – so be sure to keep an eye on our social media or, if you’re at the Zoo, pop by the Elephant Clearing to see whether you can catch a glimpse.
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Do you think that Auckland will transition to protected contact anytime soon? It seems to be the norm nowdays.
 
Jabiru96 said:
Do you think that Auckland will transition to protected contact anytime soon? It seems to be the norm nowdays.
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I don't think so no, unless something really bad happens or they obtain an elephant that can't be managed FC. Obviously many zoos have made the shift to PC, and it is becoming the norm in some places, but Auckland's success with FC has presumbaly given them no reason to change.
 
Update from the Zoo's Facebook page (check out the photos too):

Since Anjalee's arrival to Auckland Zoo on Sunday 21 June, keepers have been slowly introducing her and Burma in the barn - first with visual contact, then physical contact and now, for the first time today, they are out in the paddock together - much to the delight of Zoo staff and visitors.
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I'm surprised at how quick it was, great to see them both out on exhibit so quickly, hopefully they form a strong bond.
 
Here is a story about the new pair:

Story here, includes video of the two elephants: Auckland Zoo's elephants meet for the first time | Stuff.co.nz

Auckland Zoo's elephants have spent their first date romping in the sun, vocalising at each other and pleasing the crowds.

On a sunny winter's day elephant Burma met her new friend Anjalee, who is much younger and smaller.

Burma, 32, had been on her own since her old friend Kashin died six years ago, until Anjalee arrived at the weekend.

Anjalee, 8, has flourished since leaving a Sri Lankan elephant orphanage in March, putting on weight thanks to the tropical abundance of Niue where she has been in quarantine.

Head of life sciences Kevin Burley said the early signs couldn't be better and the elephants had been getting along very well so far.

They would be watched closely as they got to know each other and zoo staff were confident they had the animals' trust.
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