Anti-social elephant costs zoo $100,000, delays plan

Refusing an anti-social elephant has cost Auckland Zoo $100,000 and delayed its breeding programme by years, director Glen Holland says.
The zoo has attracted strong criticism of its proposed elephant breeding programme after a captive elephant being quarantined in Thailand for transfer to Auckland became violent and had to be sent back to its owner.

Tukta was one of nine elephants destined for Auckland, Melbourne and Sydney's Taronga zoos which want to breed elephants for zoos.

Mr Holland said Tukta had gone back to its owner after displaying "anti-social behaviour". She did not get along with the other elephants and was physically aggressive with staff.

The zoo decided two weeks ago not to take Tukta, fearing the young female would not get along with zoo residents Kashin, 36, and 23-year-old Burma.

"Once you get an elephant, you have it for life," Mr Holland said.

"We have to make sure animals that come in fit into our programme."

The plan had been to breed Tukta in the future but that was now on hold.

But International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) spokeswoman Rebecca Brand said the zoo shouldn't be breeding elephants at all.

"We're not trying to shut zoos down," she told National Radio yesterday. "What we are opposed to is elephants in zoos. For this proposed conservation captive breeding programme we have very strong animal welfare concerns for elephants in a zoo environment."

Ms Brand said research showed elephants suffered in captivity despite zoos' best efforts.

She said zoos used elephants as "flagship" animals and drawcards.

Ms Brand has previously said the owner of the Ayudhya Elephant Kraal, where the elephants originated, had reported 25 births in five years.

"With such a successful breeding programme in Thailand, there seems very little reason to import elephants to Australasian zoos for a conservation captive breeding programme," she said.