July was a big month for Auckland Zoo with the much-anticipated arrival of their new elephant. Eight-year-old Anjalee was specially selected as a companion for the zoo’s veteran elephant, Burma. OurAuckland spoke with elephant team leader Andrew Coers, who has been with Anjalee for every step of her long journey from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka, via Niue, to her new home in Auckland.
How did each elephant react when they first saw each other?
Well I would like to say it was instant friendship at first sight, but the reality was, Burma was really shy and tried everything not to acknowledge Anjalee or myself for that matter. It was only going to be a matter of time though, and after modifying the situation in the barn, and the keepers coming together to initiate interaction, that was it! They touched trunks and have been near-on inseparable since!
How has Burma’s behaviour changed now that Anjalee is there?
Burma has become really vocal, just like when Kashin was with us, and she’s a lot more playful. It’s been incredible and really heart-warming to see the level of dialogue between Burma and Anjalee – from trumpeting and roaring to squeaks and chirps. It’s bought a whole new vibe and feel to the barn. When I arrive in the morning, I now get this massively loud welcome, it’s awesome.
Prior to Anjalee coming, Burma has been doing incredibly well with us – her human family – active, happy and healthy. But seeing her with a member of her own (elephant) family – it’s at a whole other level. This is what it’s all about – elephants being elephants, and why we’ve worked so hard to get Burma the elephant companionship she so deserves.
What do you think Anjalee might learn from Burma?
Anjalee has loads to learn, being a young elephant and in a completely new environment. Burma is going to play a massive role in showing her how to be comfortable in this ever-changing environment. Even behaviours like stretching the trunk up high to eat from the canopy of a tree, the use of mud wallows and being comfortable meeting the different animals’ scents and noises while out for a walk around the zoo.
During your time in Niue with Anjalee, what did you discover about her personality?
That she really is a confident, playful, super-smart and inquisitive young elephant. She’d take every opportunity she could to get into mischief or have fun – from manoeuvring herself to grab the hose if we accidently left it too close to having a go at moving her crate off its base, and chasing the chickens! She also showed both myself and other team members just how keen and quickly she could learn new behaviours – like lifting her trunk so we can check her mouth, and walking with us at her side – the start of preparing her for walks out in the zoo with Burma.
Can you share a special moment that you’ve witnessed between the elephants?
Coming in on the fifth morning and reviewing the security footage to see that Anjalee had slept with Burma at her feet and that they had spent about five minutes just linking trunks. Amazing to see – and such a good sign of a nice relationship building between them.
Is there any special significance to Anjalee’s name?
Anjalee was named at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka where she was born on 23 August, 2006. Her name means “gracious gift”
Tell us about your plans for the elephants over coming year.
Our main focus is progressing integrating Anjalee and Burma so that they can get more and more comfortable with each other and get to know each other – their likes, dislikes, quirks and idiosyncrasies. Like any new relationship – human or animal – that just takes time.
At the moment the team and I are putting time and energy into practicing walking with both Anjalee and Burma in the paddock – in preparation for walking them together out in the zoo grounds. Also training up my senior elephant keepers on Anjalee so they can continue to develop their rapport with her, which is the foundation of our elephant programme.
How do you think Anjalee is coping with the cooler climate?
Really well. The weather has been pretty good, and Anjalee has been enjoying going outside in the elephant paddock since her second day in New Zealand (Monday 22 June). When the sun’s out, with their dark skin, elephants absorb and retain this heat – better than we humans can. To deal with cooler temperatures we do have a good heating and monitoring system in the elephant barn to ensure Anjalee is warm and comfortable.
Tell us a little about your experience visiting the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
I spent over six months at Pinnawala getting to know Anjalee and starting to build a relationship with her and slowly introducing her to some key aspects of our free-contact elephant programme.
My time at the orphanage was such an insight into the long culture humans and elephants have together. With the little resources invested into the facility, this really limits how you can manage the elephants. Not having elephant containment enclosures means all elephants have to spend a lot of time on chains tethered, especially overnight. Not ideal, but necessary.
The wonderful team at the orphanage are aware of their situation and care so much about the elephants. That makes it tough for them sometimes. There were times that were incredibly tough for me. One which will always remain vivid in my mind was watching a very sick elephant die over a four-week period. Due to cultural beliefs they are not allowed to consider euthanasia at times where we perhaps would, so watching this elephant’s health slowly deteriorate to an eventual death was quite horrific. What made it easier for the elephant was this incredible effort by her immediate mahouts that stayed with her 24 hours a day and hand-feeding her favourite foods.
Can you share any details about plans to bring a third elephant to NZ?
Anjalee is the first of two elephants coming to us from Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka. A second elephant will be identified for transfer to join Burma and Anjalee sometime within the next two years.
Is there a particular time of day that is better for visitors to come and see the elephants?
As long as the weather is fine, visitors are likely to see Anjalee and Burma outside in the elephant paddock at Elephant Clearing between 9.30am and 3pm.
If not in the paddock, they’ll be in elephant barn where visitors can view them through the barn’s large viewing window.
We have elephant encounters at midday on a Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at Elephant Clearing. This is a great opportunity to hear from the elephant keepers and see them in action with Anjalee and Burma.
Did you know?
- Elephant ears radiate heat to help keep them cool
- Asian elephants have a finger-like feature at the end of their trunk that they can use to pick up small items. (African elephants have two)
- Elephants are specialists in low frequency sound (octaves lower than humans can detect!) and communicating from long distances - up to 12kms away!
