Six months have passed since Anura, a male Asian Elephant, moved to the new Asian Elephant enclosure (announcement). Anura is estimated to be 65 years old this year. Although he shows signs of aging, his appetite and physique remain unchanged, and he is in good health. His weight could not be measured in the old elephant enclosure, but now that it can be measured regularly, it has been found that he maintains a weight of around 3,800 kg.

The floor of the new Asian Elephant enclosure is covered with about 2 meters of sand to reduce the strain on the elephants' feet and hooves. Anura's soles no longer show the excessive wear seen before, and the cracks in her hooves have also decreased.


Additionally, several winches are installed in the enclosure that allow food to be suspended from the ceiling, enabling the elephants to naturally extend their trunks and eat. An elephant's trunk actually weighs several hundred kilograms, which is very heavy, but lifting this heavy trunk helps develop the muscles in their neck and shoulders, allowing them to maintain a healthy physique.

Elderly Anura walks slowly and moves slowly, but she actively moves around indoors and works hard to reach food in high places. At night she lies down and sleeps, which shows that she is relaxed.

The cataracts that have been observed for some time appear to be progressing, but over the past six months, the dog has become accustomed to the facility, understands where everything is, and moves smoothly without showing any signs of difficulty.

For hygiene reasons, we regularly run sprinklers to wash the sand. Until now, Anura had been avoiding the sprinklers, but recently, on warmer days, she has been seen going under the sprinklers on her own and taking a bath.

The physiological phenomenon called musto, which occurs twice a year and is unique to male elephants, was observed as usual for about two months from late January. Generally, the musto period is a time when elephants become irritable and aggressive towards people, so it's not a time that animal keeper particularly like. However, when Anura exhibits this aggressive behavior, it's a time when her caretaker feels somewhat relieved, as it suggests she still has a long life ahead of her.


The training using the "PC Wall" (Protected contact wall: see related article below), which was conducted before the move, continues after the move. Even though the individuals are visually impaired, they are able to respond actively by relying on the sounds made by the staff.

However, it is expected that his eyesight will decline and his physical condition will deteriorate due to aging. I intend to pay even more attention to his care and management going forward so that I can provide him with the most meticulous care possible.

Related articles
"Asian Elephant enclosure reopens after renovations, welcoming new members to the collection. ”March 8, 2013
"Training Asian Elephant using PC walls ”September 27, 2013
"Continued: Training Asian Elephant” December 19, 2014
"Update on Asian Elephant training” December 18, 2015
"Progress of training in Asian Elephant transport crates” October 28, 2016
"Anura, Sri Lankan Elephant, is moving. ”September 28, 2017
【movie】" Anura moves into new home early "Photographed on October 25, 2017"

[Tama Zoo Tama Zoological Park]

(May 4, 2018)