Auckland Zoo's last remaining elephant may have finally found a forever home to live out her twilight years in South Australia.
In April last year, Australia Zoo pulled the pin on plans to take 40-year-old Burma just a week before she was set to move over in a custom crate onboard a jumbo jet.
Zoos South Australia has launched a fundraising campaign to build an elephant habitat at its Monarto Safari Park for Asian elephants within the Australasian region.
If the fundraising for stage one of the facilities required is successful at a cost of about $6 million, the open range zoo would provide a forever home for three Asian elephants, one of which could be Burma.
"We are very excited about the possibility of Monarto Safari Park developing this new 14ha habitat for the Australasian regional elephant programme - one of the largest of its kind in the region and really hope that this fundraising effort can become a reality," Auckland Zoo director Kevin Buley said.
Elephant Burma plays in the water with the zoo keepers at Auckland Zoo. Photo: Supplied / Auckland Zoo
In the meantime, Burma is being well looked after at the zoo, though she has been the last elephant left for over a year after elephant Anjalee left for Taronga Western Plains Zoo early last year.
"She's happy, but in the long term we know that she needs to be with other elephants and that's always been our plan," Buley said.
A new herd at Monarto Safari Park, which would initially also include two Asian elephants from Perth Zoo that were in similar circumstances, would be the perfect forever home, but the zoo was still keeping its options open.
"We are of course continuing to work with the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia [ZAA] programme to explore other accredited zoo back-up options that would provide Burma with the elephant family herd and environment that she needs for her long-term wellbeing."
Auckland Zoo will know by the end of October whether the fundraising campaign has been successful and its plans can progress.
If successful, Burma could be moving to her new home in late 2024.
Burma at Auckland Zoo. Photo: Supplied / Auckland Zoo
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/495050/monarto-safari-park-elephant-habitat-plan-gives-hope-auckland-s-burma-will-be-rehomed
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