A 21-hectare Elephant Trail is being built for Melbourne Zoo's herd of Asian elephants arriving at Werribee Open Range Zoo.
It’s one of the lead attractions of a major $88 million expansion of Werribee Open Range Zoo, which will see a herd of Asian elephants currently living at Melbourne Zoo – that include three pregnant females with calves expected to be born in the coming months – move to a five-kilometre long fenced-off trail in Werribee.
One of the elephants that will move to Werribee is Mali, the first-ever elephant to be born at Melbourne Zoo. “The purpose-built Elephant Trail at Werribee Open Range Zoo will be the gold standard in animal welfare, with the herd able to roam across 21 hectares,” Zoos Victoria CEO Dr Jenny Gray said.
Asian Elephants relocated from Melbourne Zoo
- A 21-hectare Elephant Trail is being built at Werribee Open Range Zoo
- Once complete, Melbourne Zoo’s Asian elephant herd will be relocated
- The five kilometre trail is due for completion in 2024
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
The state government has just released a prototype for perimeter fencing of the new Asian elephant habitat as part of the upgrade.
The fence is being built from repurposed construction materials that have been donated by government agencies including VicTrack, Victoria’s Big Build, Bushfire Recovery Victoria and commercial companies from across Melbourne.
The repurposed rail track from Level Crossing Removal Project and elevator cable will be used to construct the perimeter fencing for the Elephant Trail and the Asian wild horse, American bison and Southern white rhinoceros facilities.
The repurposed timber will be used to construct animal enrichment structures, boardwalks and gates, and visitor amenities. The habitat is expected to be complete for Zoos Victoria’s Asian elephant herd to move in 2024.
Head to the Zoos Victoria website for the latest information.
