Tang Mo and Pak Boon will be moving to a newly established elephant habitat at Monarto Safari Park in South Australia. 

The departure of Tang Mo and Pak Boon in late March allows the four females in the new herd to settle and form bonds before bull Putra Mas from Perth Zoo is introduced to the herd after his seasonal musth (hormonal change).  

Moving an elephant is no small feat. Irrespective of their size, moving elephants require lots of preparation including training and conditioning of the elephants for travel and planning of transport logistics.
 

Joining Tang Mo and Pak Boon at Monarto Safari Park will be female elephant Burma (41) who has made the move from Auckland Zoo, female elephant Permai (11) and male elephant Putra Mas (33) who will move from Perth Zoo.

While Tang Mo and Pak Boon are much loved zoo residents and they will be dearly missed, the move will give them the opportunity to become part of a larger, social herd joining three other elephants from Auckland Zoo and Perth Zoo. 

Keepers from Taronga Zoo Sydney will accompany Tang Mo and Pak Boon on the journey to South Australia. Our elephant keepers, who remain employed by Taronga, will stay with the elephants for as long as needed before handing over care to the skilled team at Monarto Safari Park. 

Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, is and will continue to be, an important player in the regional breeding program for Asian Elephants in Australasia. The herd at Taronga Western Plains Zoo is a dynamic, multi-generational breeding herd and are expecting a calf in late 2025. It is important that we maintain the strong, social stability between the females in the herd, continue to breed and provide a healthy and enriched environment for young elephants Sabai and Kanlaya. 

While moving either Pak Boon or Tang Mo, or both to Taronga Western Plains Zoo was considered, the establishment of a new herd at Monarto Safari Park provides a great opportunity to continue the Asian Elephant conservation and breeding program in Australia, bringing together multiple individuals from facilities across Australasia to increase the social herd dynamic. This newly formed cohesive social herd will continue the incredible educational and conservation conversations with the public about this endangered species.

We know that seeing and connecting with an animal is one of the best ways to forge a relationship and deep understanding with public, and we believe that Tang Mo and Pak Boon will continue to inspire many generations to come in their new herd.  
 

The team have known of the plans to move the elephants from Taronga Zoo Sydney for some time, but their departure will still be deeply felt by the keepers and our entire zoo community. Some of our keepers have worked with Tang Mo and Pak Boon since before they arrived at Taronga Zoo from Thailand. We are profoundly grateful to the team of exceptional elephant keepers who have cared for and worked with these elephants for so many years and contributed to advancements in the care for elephants beyond our zoos. 

Yes! You will still be able to see Elephants at Dubbo Zoo. 

Of course. We recognise the deep and lasting connections millions of guests have made with Tang Mo and Pak Boon during their time with us, and we will ensure our community has the opportunity to send their best wishes and celebrate the elephants and to thank the dedicated keepers who have cared for them for almost two decades.  

The Elephant keepers will remain employed by Taronga Zoo Sydney and will spend some time with Pak Boon and Tang Mo as they settle into their new home at Monarto Safari Park. The arrival of a Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Water Buffalo will provide new opportunities for the team, many of whom have already worked with these species. Zookeepers are skilled at working across many animal groups, and with more than 4,500 animals across 350 species across Taronga, their expertise will be in high demand should they wish to remain with Taronga. 

As part of a Great Migration, the elephants’ departure makes way for a new, multi-species habitat at Taronga Zoo featuring Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros and Water Buffalo. Greater One-horned Rhino are one of the largest species of Rhinoceros and often referred to as “real life unicorns” due to their distinctive solo horn which distinguishes them from other Rhino species. 

The exact timing for the arrival of Hari the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros will depend on the departure date of Tang Mo and Pak Boon, and some necessary modifications to the existing habitat to make it rhino friendly. 

Moving elephants is no small feat, and the teams at Taronga Zoo and Monarto Safari Park are in planning for most comfortable way for the elephants to be transported in their custom made transport crates. Prior to the move, the keepers will work with the elephants over months to ensure they are well conditioned to purpose-built transport crates. Keepers are undergoing daily training sessions to give Tang Mo and Pak Boon the choice to voluntarily participate in daily crate and seatbelt sessions, which build positive associations to the transport crate and their safety leg bands aka ‘seatbelts’ ahead of the March move. Pak Boon and Tang Mo voluntarily present their feet for safety leg bands to be comfortably fit, which are much like a seatbelt or handle that you hold when standing on a bus or train. It’s an important safety and comfort measure to help in the journey when the transport truck brakes, accelerates, or turns. Visitors may catch a training session for themselves, as the keepers change the timings and durations of the sessions, best preparing the elephants for a host of scenarios ahead of moving day. 

Taronga has lots of experience in transporting elephants, dating back to their arrival from Thailand as well as movements between zoos across the region to further the Australasian breeding program. Lots of planning and preparation goes into these moves to ensure the elephants are safe and comfortable in their transport crates and that they are ready for the move.