Melbourne Zoo's Elephants Move to Expansive Werribee Home

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Luk Chai, a male elephant weighing four tonnes, went first. "He was very calm and comfortable for the entire journey.

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The new home costs $88 million and includes dense vegetation, mud wallows, and interconnected waterhole

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Moving the elephants wasn't simple. It took 21 keepers, truck drivers, vets, and even the police to help.

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The elephants showed their happiness by making different sounds - from loud trumpets to soft squeaks

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The oldest elephant in the group, Mek Kapah, is 52 and has lived at Melbourne Zoo since 1978.

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Visitors will soon be able to watch the elephants from special viewing areas, seeing how they live and play.

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We cannot wait to see these magnificent animals thrive in their expansive new habitat." Said Mark Pilgrim.

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This move shows how zoos are changing to give animals better lives - a smaller space to a natural habitat.

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[{"selector":"#anim-13afd195-4511-48b6-bde2-d345e064336e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fe00dfd3-f749-4801-9e01-a0cb657b9921","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-122d1fa4-10e2-4d51-a08f-56096d63ab95","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bbff9932-e284-48df-a5ce-87a5bf7e4db8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ead1d158-912c-4721-b373-0c316dfc305e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.23810%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] More than 9,000 Rare Animals Recorded in Kazakhstan’s Altyn-Emel Park Learn more