Burgers' Zoo receives elephants from Belfast
Friday, 26 July 2024
Two elderly elephant cows arrived at Royal Burgers' Zoo from Belfast Zoo (Northern Ireland) on Friday morning, 26 July 2024, after travelling by boat. The Arnhem Zoo serves as a sanctuary for elderly elephants as part of the European population management programme for the Asian elephant. The thick-skinned females from Northern Ireland will gradually be introduced to two other elderly females in Arnhem.
Extensive crate training
The two females underwent extensive crate training in Belfast in recent weeks to ensure that the animals could walk into the now-familiar transport crates on the day of transport without the use of anaesthesia. The zookeepers only work with positive rewards—when the animal completes the task as desired, they receive a tasty snack.
A quiet arrival for the elephants
Burgers' Zoo has opted for a peaceful arrival of the new elephants and will introduce them to their new indoor enclosure in Arnhem before the zoo opens. The truck used to move the animals has been specifically designed for this kind of transport: the transport crates can be lowered all the way to the ground, allowing the elephants to walk out of their crates into their new indoor enclosure on their own.
A gradual introduction
A veterinarian and zookeeper from Belfast accompanied the transport by car and will remain in Arnhem from Friday to Tuesday to ensure a proper handover. The elephants will gradually acclimate to their new habitat and, eventually, to their new conspecifics. The elephants from Belfast will initially remain separated from the two Arnhem elephants in the indoor and outdoor enclosures.
