31/01/11

Melbourne Zoo's first-ever Asian Elephant calf took her first big swim today. She has ‘graduated' from the paddling pool in the Cow Paddock via the deeper pool near the Bull Barn to the 4-metre deep pool near the Community Hall!

Elephant Keepers swam with Mali so she wouldn't be frightened of the deep water,   while her mother Dokkoon and herd matriarch Mek Kapah browsed on some hay next to the pool.

Elephant Department Supervisor Dave McKelson and Elephant Keeper Gary Hampson went into the pool with Mali, and after a while mother Dokkoon joined them.

Dave says ‘Mali did really well!  She was a little bit anxious about going into the deeper water, but even in that short session she was gaining confidence. 

‘She went in to a depth of more than two metres, so she was well and truly underwater and didn't seem to mind!  It was lots of fun, and we think it went exceptionally well.'

Dokkoon gave birth to Mali just over a year ago, on January 16^th, the first-ever Asian Elephant calf birth at Melbourne Zoo.

She is also Australia's first female Asian Elephant and the first calf born via artificial insemination anywhere in Australia.  This historic birth was a major milestone in the new regional conservation breeding program for her endangered species.

Melbourne Zoo Director Kevin Tanner says ‘Asian Elephants are much more endangered than the African Elephants, with habitat loss a major issue throughout their range states.

‘Our conservation breeding program helps us to increase awareness of the threats this species faces in the wild and gain support for our elephant conservation initiatives overseas and here at home.'

He explains that the Zoo supports a habitat protection program in Sumatra, in a national park area where elephants still roam wild, along with tigers, orang-utans, and other endangered species.

‘We are also running a community conservation campaign to change Australia's food labelling laws.  The response tells us that consumers want to know when palm oil is included in the manufactured food in our supermarkets.

‘This is a vitally important campaign, because expansion of palm oil plantations is the single largest cause of habitat loss in South-east Asia.  Our website has more information about how to help save orang-utans and other rainforest wildlife