Ueno Zoo houses three Asian Elephant: Surya (female, born in 1994), Uthai (female, born in 1998), and Arun (male, born in 2020, Uthai's offspring).

Before Arun was born, Surya and Uthai lived together. However, in recent years, the situation has changed dramatically, with the death of "Ati" (male) in 2020, followed by the birth of Arun, and then the death of the older "Daya" (female). As a result, Surya now lives alone, while Uthai and Arun, mother and son, live together.

However, elephants are naturally herd animals, with females and their calves living together. Therefore, we are currently working on a plan to allow the three elephants to live together in the enclosure, and I will report on the progress.


How we lived together in March
(From left: Arun, Surya, Utai)
We have tried keeping the three animals together four times so far, changing the method each time.

The first time we tried it was in March 2021, for about two weeks. At that time, Surya seemed frightened of Arun, who was still young and restless, and the situation did not improve even after repeated attempts. Therefore, considering the mental burden on Surya and Arun's safety, we decided to discontinue it. After seeking advice from elephant breeding experts overseas, we decided that the next time they would live together, it would be "after Arun has grown to a size (approximately 1,000 kg in weight) where the possibility of serious injury would be low even if he were attacked by Surya."

Then, in March 2023, when Arun's weight exceeded 1,000 kg and the sand replacement work in the enclosure was completed, we attempted to have them live together for the second time. More than two years had passed since Arun's birth, and perhaps because he had been in contact with Surya through the fence on a regular basis, he seemed calmer than during the first time they lived together. Surya's reaction to Arun had also improved, and for about 20 minutes after they started living together, the three seemed to spend time together peacefully, although there was still some tension. However, soon Surya began to persistently chase Uthai and nudge him with his nose, showing his possessiveness towards Uthai. For this reason, we decided to discontinue the cohabitation to avoid worsening the relationship between the two.

Subsequently, a third cohabitation was attempted in June, and a fourth cohabitation in July. However, Surya's possessive behavior towards Utai did not decrease, so the cohabitation was not continued. Surya's possessive behavior is thought to be due to changes in the relationships between the individuals, such as Daya's death and Arun's addition.

Elephants, by nature, can become difficult to repair relationships once they experience significant deterioration due to conflict or other issues. Keeping this risk in mind, and taking into account Arun's growth and the relationship between him and Surya Uthai, we must explore the best way to care for and exhibit them. Prioritizing the peaceful lives of all three elephants, animal keeper will continue to observe them carefully.

[Ueno Zoo East Garden Animal Care and Exhibition Staff]

(September 2, 2023)