Auckland Zoo's difficult decision to rehome beloved elephants Anjalee and Burma has had a happy ending as the zoo confirmed today its found a new home for the pair.
On Thursday the zoo announced on Instagram it had found Anjalee and Burma "excellent new homes" at overseas zoos.
Last year, Auckland Zoo made the "heart-breaking" decision to rehome its two Asian elephants after facing a number of significant challenges to its original plan of establishing an elephant family herd.
According to the website, "an additional female was expected to arrive from Sri Lanka's Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage shortly after Anjalee in 2015 but this did not progress and the elephant remains in Sri lanka".
"In addition, five artificial insemination (AI) attempts were made between 2017-2019 with Anjalee. Sadly none of these were successful and now a number of impossible challenges mean that no further AI attempts are currently possible here in New Zealand."
After exhausting all possibilities to breed Anjalee in Auckland, the zoo will now work to transition her to another elephant programme where she can live in a multi-generational family herd.
"There she will be able to mate naturally with a bull elephant and have the best possible chance of halving a calf"
For Anjalee's future health needs, the zoo is determined to do everything to protect her ability to breed. "Now aged 14, she needs to get pregnant soon to avoid long-term reproductive health issues."
According to the Instagram statement, Anjalee and Burma are heading to different zoos to ensure their individual needs are met.
"Anjalee will join the breeding herd at Taronga Western Plains Zoo (Dubbo, Australia), and Burma will head to Australia Zoo (Sunshine Coast, Queensland) to join their all-female herd."
