Monarto Safari Park welcomes new Asian elephant, Permai

Monarto Safari Park’s beloved elephant resident Permai has arrived after completing a mammoth 40-hour journey. Now she’s getting ready to settle into her new home.

A beloved elephant has made the jumbo 40-hour journey from WA and arrived safely - if very tired - at Monarto, thrilling zookeepers.

Permai left Perth Zoo on Monday morning and crossed the border at 10.15am on Tuesday, arriving at Monarto Safari Park just before 10.30am on Wednesday.

She was sustained on her journey with a mammoth snack supply, including buckets full of peanut butter sandwiches and watermelon.

Zookeepers hope that Permai’s introduction to Monarto’s resident Asian Elephant bull Burma will result in a new herd for our state.

Perth Zoo veterinarian Michael Lynch said it had been a very long trip and Permai would be keen to get out of her container.

“Considering it is a two-day trip, she’s gone pretty well. She’s very tired now,” he said.

“She wouldn’t have really slept all the way across.”

Monarto Zoo elephant manager Andrew Coers said Permai’s introduction to Burma could take a couple of days, or a few weeks.

“It’s just like people, and those initial interactions that one might have with one another,” Mr Coers said.

Before Permai left, the zookeepers took her through her normal daily crate training – walking in and fastening her seatbelt – to help her stay calm.

A custom, insulated and airconditioned crate, packed with a stash of snacks and more than 1000 litres of water, helped to make Permai’s adventurous trip more comfortable.

Permai the elephant on her 36-hour journey from Perth Zoo to Monarto Safari Park.

Adelaide Zoo said it will announce at a later date when Permai is ready to meet the public. Picture: Zoos SA

Permai’s container was stocked with treats and snacks for the journey, including two buckets of peanut butter sandwiches, further buckets containing sliced watermelon, other chopped vegetables and fruit including apples and pears, and bamboo “browse” - a mix of leafy branches and vegetation.

Film footage of preparations for the journey in Perth also showed a bunch of bananas, and the team stopped at the SA border to collect more bamboo, pineapple and bread for the sandwiches.

Burma waiting for Permai. Picture: Perth Zoo

Upon arrival, Permai will be given time to settle in and adjust to her new environment. This quiet period will ensure she feels comfortable and secure before meeting Burma and exploring her new habitat. Picture: Perth Zoo

Her carers also kept an eye on her for the whole trip through a live camera.

Now she has arrived, Permai will have some time to settle in, explore and get acquainted with her new home, before she meets 42-year-old Burma.

Over the next few days, Permai will settle into her new habitat with the expert care of her keepers from Perth Zoo and the elephant team at Monarto Safari Park, where its new elephant barn will provide a safe and secure space to recover from her journey and adapt to the sights, sounds and smells of the Mallee Plains.

Adelaide Zoo said it would announce at a later date when Permai is ready to meet the public.

Last Tuesday, a crowd of thrilled zoogoers welcomed Adelaide’s newest fluffy black-and-white duo after they arrived from China last month.

Permai has officially left Perth Zoo and is now on her way to Monarto Safari Park . Picture: Alex Cearns

New giant pandas Xing Qiu and Yi Lan received a warm welcome as they made their public debut during an official welcome ceremony at Adelaide Zoo’s Bamboo Forest.

Both pandas, originally from the Chinese city of Chengdu, were greeted with colourfully decorated enrichment boxes, filled with panda cake, apple and carrot.

Originally published as Monarto Safari Park welcomes new Asian elephant, Permai