One year since Anura moved to the male enclosure

On December 25, 2024, Tama Zoo moved Asian Elephant Anura (male, estimated age 73) from the female enclosure to the male enclosure, and Vidura (male, age 18) from the male enclosure to the female enclosure. Please click here to read about the circumstances that led to the enclosure swap. This time, we will introduce how Anura is doing one year after the enclosure swap.

Over the past year, I have noticed some positive changes in Anura while keeping her in a male enclosure compared to when she was previously kept in a female enclosure. I would like to talk about two of these changes.

The first change was that Anura started using the pool. When she was kept in the female enclosure, she was not seen entering the pool, but when she was moved to the male enclosure, we got her used to using the pool there. Specifically, we started by setting the water volume low so that Anura would understand that "this is the pool and a safe place," and gradually increased the volume while watching her behavior.

As a result, last summer, the first time they had been relocated, they were able to swim in the pool even when it was full of water. The pool not only cools them down, but also allows them to move and exert themselves in a way that is different from what they would on land. Furthermore, using the stairs to get in and out is expected to naturally increase their exercise. In addition, in winter, we drain the pool of all the water and set up a feeder in the empty pool. This allows the Anura to move around in the entire enclosure in the same way as in summer, even in winter.

The second benefit is the availability of new feeder facilities. These facilities are not available in the female enclosure. They consist of boards with several holes just large enough for the animals to stick their noses out, attached to a steel pipe fence. These boards limit the positions where the animals can stick their noses out, and the location of the feeders can be freely changed, which leads to changes in their food-seeking behavior.
　
As a result, Anura began to use her ingenuity to search for and retrieve food, and we began to notice a mental change in her, such as her spending more time moving and actively engaging in enrichment activities.

It has been a year since Anura moved to the male enclosure, and she has gotten used to her new environment and has found her own way of spending time. When you visit, be sure to keep an eye out for her as she enters the pool area and skillfully takes food from the feeder. We hope to continue creating an environment where Anura can live a lively life.

[Tama Zoo]

(February 13, 2026)