Australia Zoo repays Auckland Zoo $400k over Burma the elephant's failed move

Tuesday, 26 July 2022

Getting Auckland Zoo's last elephant, Burma, to Australia is no easy task.

Australia Zoo has had to repay more than $400,000 to Auckland Zoo after cancelling the planned relocation of Asian elephant Burma.

Burma was intended to move to the zoo in late 2021 after her paddock mate, Anjalee, relocated to Taronga Western Plains Zoo for health reasons.

Auckland Zoo said at the time the move would give both elephants the “family herd” they needed for their wellbeing.

But in April, it was announced Burma’s long-awaited move would not go ahead as one of Australia Zoo’s elephants had to be treated for a bacterial infection.

* Burma the elephant to stay at Auckland Zoo… for now

Burma was set to leave on April 27, before her move to Australia Zoo was cancelled.

* Auckland Zoo's elephant Anjalee arrives safely at Australia's Taronga Zoo

Documents obtained under the Local Government Official Information and Management Act showed the transfer was all set to go, with a $260,000 flight booked for April 27.

Burma will stay at Auckland Zoo while it finds a new place for her to live.

But just weeks before take-off, doubt over the import permits flipped plans on their head.

On April 8, Australia Zoo operations manager Amanda Cole emailed Auckland Zoo, saying she had received information from Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) that was “not very reassuring”.

Cole said she would be back in touch the following week should a contingency plan need to be made.

Auckland Zoo director Kevin Buley said it was “not a small issue” and “we lost the option of a back-up contingency date as soon as we locked-in the flight”.

In an email a week later, Buley said DAWE had indicated it didn’t have enough information from Australia Zoo to grant the permit.

A permit could have been granted if the appropriate level of information had been provided early enough, he said.

“There are going to be some significant welfare, communication, reputational and financial risks/consequences for both our organisations that we will need to work through together.”

Just three days later, on Easter Monday, Australia Zoo general manager Luke Reavley emailed Auckland Zoo, saying the decision had been made to cancel Burma’s relocation.

“Our management team has met numerous times over the last few days to try and work out a plan that works for all parties, but sadly not come up with any practical solutions.”

Three months later, Buley said “the words aren’t really strong enough” to describe his disappointment when hearing the news.

Buley said the two zoos hadn’t been in touch since April to discuss the cancelled relocation or why it happened so out of the blue.

The focus was now on finding Burma a new home, a “home that actually wants her”, he said.

The good news was she was still doing really well – taking strolls around the zoo before visiting hours and being the sole focus of the elephant team, he said.

Australia Zoo has refunded Auckland Zoo more than $400,000 intended for “habitat modifications” for Burma.

Her $260,000 flight costs didn’t go entirely down the drain – half were refunded, while half have been kept as credit for when she does move to a new home.

Australia Zoo was contacted for comment.