Auckland Zoo elephant Burma has new chance at forever home as fundraiser for habitat in Australia begins

Auckland Zoo’s lonely elephant Burma has another shot at living happily ever after, one year on from the heartbreaking backtrack on plans for her to shift to Australia Zoo.

Today, Zoos South Australia (ZSA) is beginning a fundraising campaign to build an elephant habitat at their Monarto Safari Park for Asian elephants within the Australasian region.

If successful, the beloved mammal could be one of three Asian elephants to call the proposed open-range zoo their new forever home.

Auckland Zoo director Kevin Buley told the Herald while Burma has been doing well thanks to workers keeping her mentally and physically stimulated, in the long term, she needs to be with other elephants.

“That’s how they would be in the wild, and there’s no real substitute for an elephant being with other elephants, so that’s our long-term objective.”

Auckland Zoo’s 40-year-old Asian elephant Burma. Photo / Alex Burton

Buley said they need to raise A$6.5 million (NZ$6.99m) to build the facility - which he described as a bargain - and if this was achieved, she would hopefully be able to move near the end of next year.

“The animals at Perth, particularly the females, are 33-year-old females, so very similar to Burma, and with the two teams working together, we’re obviously very hopeful that they get on like a house on fire.”

Last year, the 40-year-old Burma was set to join a herd across the ditch, but this was cancelled after the zoo’s oldest elephant developed a bacterial infection and it said it needed to prioritise the herd’s wellbeing.

A crate, which Buley said has been in her enclosure since the move fell through, is now a “big game” for her.

Burma giving an Auckland Zoo keeper a hug. Photo / Alex Burton

“She loves playing around with it, going in and coming out, reversing into it - and that’s really important, that she feels comfortable in that space, so when the time does come for her to move, she’s got that safe and secure space that she can feel comfortable in.”

He told the Herald Burma was a cheeky, playful elephant who also loved her food.

While the focus now is relocating Burma, he said in the future, her current home will become part of their African Safari track.