Perth Zoo: Last elephant Putra Mas starts journey to Monarto Safari Park closing 127-year zoo chapter

Ten tonnes of precious grey cargo have started the 2700km journey across the Nullarbor, marking the end of more than a century of elephants at Perth Zoo.

The zoo officially closed the chapter on its elephant era after 127 years when its last resident elephant Putra Mas boarded his crate on Monday morning to start the lengthy road trip to his new home in South Australia at Monarto Safari Park, about 70km south-east of Adelaide.

It’s believed to be the longest overland trip ever undertaken by a fully grown bull elephant in recorded history.

There Putra Mas will be met by at least one familiar face, with Perth Zoo’s last female elephant Permai having made the journey over earlier this year.

Putra Mas will complete Monarto Safari Park’s founding elephant herd as the founding male, alongside female elephants Permai, Burma, Pak Boon and Tang Mo.

Elephant keepers took the 35-year-old bull through his daily crate training and fastened his seatbelts before an industrial crane slowly lifted the crate — marked “JUMBO DELIVERY” — off the ground and onto the waiting truck, filled with all the essentials required for his safe journey.

It’s taken six months of conditioning training to get Putra Mas ready for the trip, and meticulous planning to form a crack team of four carers, two specialist vets, four drivers and a media rep from Perth Zoo to document the feat.

The custom-built, insulated crate has reverse cycle air-conditioning, plenty of snacks and water, and a live camera so the carers travelling with Putra Mas can watch him the entire journey.

With the 4.7 tonne Putra Mas inside, the whole package weighs about 10t.

Perth Zoo’s life sciences director John Lemon said even though Putra Mas is “an absolute sweetheart”, he’s still classed as a dangerous animal, so planning has been paramount to ensure the entire team’s welfare — especially Putra Mas himself.

“Perth is one of the most remote zoos in the world, and we’re experts at long haulage (and) taking animals across this continent and internationally as well,” he said.

The convoy will have 12 rest stops for welfare checks, and is due to arrive at Monarto just before lunchtime on Wednesday.

Perth Zoo executive director David van Ooran said it was “very bittersweet” to bid Putra Mas farewell, who has lived at the zoo since 1992.

“Elephants to us at Perth Zoo and the WA community have meant so much over so many decades. They are the most amazing animals,” he said.

“My hope is that he moves to a new chapter, with a new female herd of elephants, and lives his best life.”

Once settled in, Putra Mas and his roommates will have four habitats across a 14 hectare site to roam at Monarto Safari Park.

The final move follows the decision in 2018 to move the elephants on after the death of Perth Zoo’s beloved matriarch elephant Tricia. She died in 2022 at the age of 65.

Mr van Ooran said the vacancy in the elephant enclosure will allow Perth Zoo to expand its African Savannah precinct to bring in more giraffes and return to its giraffe breeding conservation efforts.