Flying elephant touches down in South Australia

Adelaide has welcomed 3.8 tonnes of precious cargo: an Asian elephant named Burma, who is set to make her home at South Australia’s Monarto Safari Park. This gentle giant, known for her playful and active nature, arrived in Adelaide today after a long journey from her former home at Auckland Zoo, where she lived for 34 years.

Burma's arrival in Adelaide was met with a warm welcome from locals. Airport onlookers, including plane enthusiasts and families with children, gathered to witness the rare sight of an elephant landing on Australian soil. To prepare Burma for her travels, she underwent extensive training. Her custom-made crate was loaded onto a truck, transported across Auckland, and then loaded onto a chartered Atlas Air freighter for her four-hour flight to Adelaide, accompanied by her New Zealand keepers.

Upon landing, Burma underwent a health check by specialist vets before being escorted by police in a truck from the airport through the western suburbs and along the highway to her new home. Monarto Safari Park will house a herd of five elephants, with Permai and Putra Mas from Perth Zoo, and Pathi Boon and Thong Dee from Taronga Zoo set to join Burma by the end of next year.

Burma is now in a 30-day quarantine period, after which the South Australian public will be able to see the elephant before Christmas. This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.