Perth Zoo elephants prepare for move to Monarto Safari Park with arrival of custom transport crates

Two Perth Zoo elephants are getting ready to pack up their trunks and make the trek across the Nullarbor to their “forever home” in South Australia.

Two custom transport crates arrived at the zoo on Wednesday morning to get elephants Permai and Putra Mas used to the confined space before making the jumbo journey to Monarto Safari Park in the new year.

Monarto Safari Park is the largest open-range safari experience outside Africa.

Perth Zoo life sciences director John Lemon said the elephants needed to undergo behavioural conditioning and “crate training” to make sure they felt “safe and secure” for the journey ahead.

“It’s all about the welfare of the elephant so we need to make sure they’re safe and secure in these crates for the long journey ahead,” he said.

“We’re on the elephants timeframe so we won’t move until they’re ready.

“It’s all about trust and making sure they feel safe and secure and that’s a daily behavioural repertoire of getting them to come into the crates, (have a) few sweet treats and make sure they’re comfortable.

The crates — which were designed by Henderson-based design consultancy CADDS Group — are about 4.5m long and 3.5m high and are designed to “fit the elephants perfectly”.

The crates have also been decked out with treat shoots, hay nets and a water trough.

“There are many different door openings which allows us to do some tactile work on the elephants and make sure they’re nice and calm during the trip,” Mr Lemon said.

“They are the perfect crates to move them to their forever home and they should make for a nice safe, journey.

“It’s a bittersweet moment to lose elephants from Perth Zoo but we know it’s the best thing, based on welfare, for the elephants to go to their forever home at Monarto Safari Park.”