Beginning with the arrival of Jamuna, elephants have resided at the Auckland Zoo since 1923, as seen from the photographs below. Many people have memories of having had a ride on Jamuna as a child up until 1965 after which elephant rides ceased following changes in zoo practices.  

First elephant at Auckland Zoo: Jamuna (1923 - 1965)

The Auckland Zoological Park opened on 17th December 1922. Its first elephant, Jamuna, arrived on 7 June 1923 from the Alipore Zoological Gardens (Calcutta Zoo). 

Arrival at Zoo:

Jamuna, a female Indian elephant, was accompanied by her mahout Ater Ali (see The elephant database). 

The funds for the purchase of Jamuna were donated by businessman and former Deputy Mayor John Court. He had stipulated that elephant rides for children were to be free for the first 12 months. When the Auckland Zoological Society was formed in 1929, Court was elected its first life member.  (Source: Heritage et AL: The first lady of Auckland Zoo: Jamuna the elephant and Papers Past, 21 Jan 1930)  

  Jamuna was temporarily housed in the Council Works Depot until the Elephant House was completed.  

The Elephant House continued to be used to house elephants until 1990 when a new enclosure was built. It was converted into a function centre and used for zoo sleepovers in 2002. Since 2019, it has operated as restaurant  (see Zoo Chat). 

First elephant rides:

Rides for children began on Saturday, 10 November 1923, with the first rides going to the children who had won an essay-writing competition. Over the following 33 years, Jamuna is estimated to have given rides to three-quarters of a million people. (Source: Heritage  et AL and Papers Past, 8 Nov 1923)

Jamuna an audience favourite:

A delighful article describing the queues of children, and the mannerisms, sleeping and eating habits of Jamuna, appeared in the NZ Herald (see Papers Past: Elephant that snores, 17 May 1932)

However, "Jumuna’s only fall from grace occurred a few months ago when several members of a women’s organisation visited the zoo. They called at Jumuna’s house during her lunch hour, but she apparently resented the intrusion. Calmly interrupting her meal, she dipped her trunk into a bucket of water and directed the spray with unerring aim at  her visitors. However, the view is held by some of her champions that that was not bad temper—it was merely exhibitionism." (Source: Papers Past: Northern Advocate, Zoo's elephant getting flabby, 7 May 1949) 

Jamuna during 1950s-60s:

Last rides on Jamuna (1965):

Jamuna passed away in her sleep on the 2nd September 1965. Her 42 years with the Auckland Zoo was memorialised in a plaque placed on the wall of the Elephant House. The plaza at the rear of the Zoo outside the old Elephant House has been named Jamuna Plaza.  

Rajah (formerly named Jumbo): 1930 - 1936

In 1930, a 13 year old bull Asian elephant named Jumbo was purchased for £125 from the Hobart City Council as a companion for Jamuna. After arriving in Auckland on 11 November 1930, Jumbo was renamed Rajah by the Auckland Zoo. Rajah had been born in Myanmar (Burma) in 1917 (see The elephant database).  For an account of Rajah's background, including his appearance in the British Empire Exhibition in London (1924-1925), residing at the Hobart Zoo (20 July 1925 - Nov 1930) and arrival at the Auckland Zoo, see the Auckland Museum's blog posts: Wild child and A wild child revisited.

Eight days after Rajah's arrival, zoo keeper Herbert Hunter received head injuries from being knocked down by Rajah during feeding time (see Papers Past: NZ Herald, 20 Nov 1930). 

Following the death of the Zoo curator Louis Thomas Griffin on 19 August 1935, the Auckland City Council commissioned a report on the Zoo from Lt. Col. E. R. Sawer, former Director of Agriculture in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). Sawer's recommendations for the future direction of the Zoo led to the Council appointing him as the new director/curator on 1 April 1936. His report had also noted that Rajah was coming into musth condition making his potential aggressive behaviour a liability. The Council agreed to Rajah being put down and he was shot by his keeper on 9 March 1936. Taxidermist Charles Dover and his assistants were used by the Auckland Museum to display Rajah as an exhibit in the Hall of General Natural History. (See Auckland Museum's blog posts: How to stuff an elephant and The history of Rajah which also debates the reasons given for Rajah's behaviour prior to being shot.)

Proof that an elephant never forgets was reported in the NZ Herald after the death of Rajah:  "In the past, when Jamuna had completed her task of  giving rides to children, she was permitted to break open the bale of straw for her bedding each night and pass the wire binding back to her keeper. Half of this bale was taken away and placed in Rajah's stall  before his companion had a chance to break it up. This practice was  discontinued after Rajah's death, but Jamuna  seemed to think that her companion still needed some bedding, and regularly for several nights she divided her share of hay in half and  placed it carefully near the front of the adjoining stall, as her trunk would not reach very far round the wall. " (Papers Past: NZ Herald, "Jamuma remembers", 8 April 1936)

Kassala: 1952 - 1957

In  November 1949, Robert Roach, an English veterinarian, took over as curator following the retirement of Sawer who stayed on as assistant curator until March 1950.  Roach progressively introduced a number of new exhibits at the Zoo until his resignation in 1958. Female Asian elephant, Kassala, who was born in 1945, arrived on 1 May 1952 from the Singapore Zoo as a companion for Jamuna. In August 1954, after Kassala was fed by  keeper Frank Lane, he had climbed back through the rails between the stalls when Jamuna swung her trunk knocking him into the wall and killing him instantly. Kassala was eventually sold to Bullens Circus on 30 December 1957. (See: The elephant database and Wikipedia: Auckland Zoo)

Malini: 1961 - 1971

In August 1960, Derek Wood from Chester Zoo was appointed as zoo supervisor and his first report called for the pairing of animals and improvements to accommodations. Asian female elephant Malini arrived on 4 August 1961 as a companion for Jamuna. Malini, who was born in 1953, was gifted to the Auckland Zoo by the Indian government and later died on 27 February 1971 due to pancreatic illness. (See: The elephant database which includes a photo)

Ma Schwe (Mashwe): 1968 - 1982

As a replacement for Jamuna, the  female Asian elephant Ma Schwe was a gift by the son of John Court. Ma Schwe was born in Thailand in 1964 and went to the San Diego Zoo on 9 November 1965. She arrived from the San Diego Zoo to the Auckland Zoo on 30 October 1968.  Later she died on the 2 August 1982 of acute heart failure.  (See: Heritage et AL: The First Lady of Auckland Zoo: Jamuna the Elephant and The elephant database)

Scenes with unnamed elephants at the Zoo (1979-1980)

Kashin: 1972 - 2009

Kashin was a four year old female Asian elephant born in 1968 in Thailand. She travelled from the Como Zoo in Saint Paul, Minnesota by jumbo jet and arrived at the Auckland Zoo on 8 Dec 1972 as a gift from the ASB Bank. Her name came from an ASB competition held in 1964 for primary school children to name an elephant-shaped money box ("cash-in"). (See ASB: The history of Kashin). Kashin remained at Auckland Zoo until her death aged 40 years. (See The elephant database)

On Monday 24 August 2009, Kashin was euthanised after her health had deteriorated from chronic arthritis, foot abscesses and skin infections. A message on Auckland Zoo's website had said, "Much-loved female elephant Kashin, a part of the zoo family for over 36 years, was put to sleep at 5pm this evening after losing her battle with chronic health conditions". A memorial service with free entry was held at the Auckland Zoo on Sunday 30 August, which thousands attended throughout the day. (See: Stuff.co.nz: Much loved Zoo elephant dies, 26 Aug 2009)   

Koru: 1983

Female African Bush elephant Koru was born in the wild in 1980 and captured in 1982. Koru arrived at the Auckland Zoo on 4 April 1983 from the Los Angeles Zoo and died three months later on 26 July 1983 (see The elephant database and Zoo Chat).

Burma: 1990 -

Burma, a female Asian elephant, was born at a logging camp in Myanmar (Burma) on 20 October 1982, and arrived at the Auckland Zoo on 18 May 1990. (See The elephant database and Zoo Chat). The Elephant Clearing exhibit was constructed soon after with a large moated enclosure with a new elephant house and pool, in which an elephant can completely submerge (see Wikipedia: Auckland Zoo). Burma enjoyed having a pool pamper session, as seen in this video on the Auckland Zoo's website: Asian elephant Burma is enjoying a pool-side scrub (18 April 2020).   

Newspapers reported Burma escaping briefly outside her enclosure by dropping a log on an electric fence and crashing through a gate (see SCOOP: Elephant Burma's escape short-lived, 23 Jan 2004).  

Auckland Zoo proposes more elephants: 2009-2015

Since March 2009, the Auckland Zoo has been considering acquiring additional elephants. Once a female herd was established, the Zoo intended to start looking for a male elephant so it could start a breeding programme. Following the death of female elephant Kashin in August 2009, the search intensified for another elephant to keep remaining female elephant Burma company.  

Animal welfare groups oppose ZOO's plans:

There has been a growing international trend questioning whether animals should be kept in captivity (for entertainment and/or educational, conservation and research purposes) or live in their natural environment. This debate has had implications for building up the herd of elephants at the Auckland Zoo.    

Two new elephants to be acquired: Anjalee & Nandi

On 2 May 2011, Zoo Director Jonathan Wilcken proposed to the Auckland Council that it approve $3.2 million loan for the transport and quarantine of two elephants. These elephants could potentially be acquired as a gift from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage which is managed by Sri Lanka's Department of National Zoological Gardens. (See RFA Investment Proposal – Two Elephants Attachment A, 2 May 2011)  Approval was granted by the Auckland Council (See: Auckland Council. The Annual Report 2010/2011, p. 100) 

Prime Minister John Key was gifted an elephant for the Zoo by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena when he attended the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government held in Sri Lanka. Following an agreement in 2015 by the Auckland City Council with the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka, two female elephants were gifted - Anjalee and Nandi - as companions for Auckland Zoo's current 32-year-old female elephant, Burma. 

Anjalee: 2015 -  

On 21 June 2015, the first of the two gifted elephants (eight year old Anjalee) arrived at the Auckland Zoo after being flown to Niue for a 90-day quarantine period.  See TVNZ video: Two's company - Auckland Zoo welcomes its new elephant. Also see: The elephant database. Anjalee was named at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka where she  was born on 23 August, 2006. Her name means “gracious gift”.  Her mother, an orphan, was found injured in the wild and her father was born through Pinnawala's breeding programme,. (See interview with elephant team leader Andrew Coers: Our Auckland: Welcome to Auckland Anjalee, 28 Aug, 2015) 

Nandi's arrival suspended: 2016

The deed to five-year-old female Nandi was presented by Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena to PM John Key during a ceremony in Colombo held on 24 February 2016, after the signing of the agreement with Auckland Zoo. A petition by 18 groups to the Court of Appeal in Sri Lanka called for an  injunction to stop Nandi being transferred from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka to the Auckland Zoo. In defence of its elephant programme, Auckland Zoo director Jonathan Wilcken had stated the Zoo was a not-for-profit organisation and did not make money from its elephants, and its elephant programme helped support the conservation of the species. Sri Lankan honorary consul Aruna Abeygoonesekera had said the elephant would  be coming from an orphanage, and would receive much better care in Auckland. (Source: RNZ: Attempt to block elephant's transfer to Auckland, 20 July 2016).   

The media reported the court case was still ongoing in March 2019.  Head of Campaigns for animal rights group, SAFE, Marianne Macdonald had said, "it  was strongly against Nandi being ripped away from her family group in Sri Lanka".  (See Stuff.co.nz: Mandy T: Where is Auckland Zoo's $1.6 million elephant?, 27 March 2019). On the section of its website about Zoos and wildlife parks, SAFE states: "Since any calves born will never be reintroduced to the wild, the  acquisition of these elephants has no conservation benefit whatsoever.  It only results in there being more animals in captivity solely for people’s entertainment."  

Last two elephants to be rehomed overseas during 2021: Burma & Anjalee

The Auckland Zoo announced during November 2020 that plans were underway to relocate its two female elephants, Burma and Anjalee, overseas during 2021.  The intent was to give Anjalee the opportunity to breed and to enable both elephants to form relationships with other elephants - becoming part of a family herd would benefit their long-term well-being and security. Five artificial insemination attempts with Anjalee had been unsuccessful between 2017-2019.  As Anjalee was now aged 14 years, "she needs to get pregnant soon to avoid the long-term reproductive health issues that can face female elephants if they don’t breed". [See Auckland Zoo website: Asian elephant]

The Spinoff (22 April 2021):  "Burma will move to Australia Zoo in Queensland where she’ll join a matriarchal family herd of varying ages and, as the oldest elephant, will be able to play an aunty role for the younger females. Meanwhile, Anjalee will be moving to Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, New South Wales, home to both female and male (bull) elephants. As well as being part of a family herd at her new home, she’ll also have the opportunity to breed naturally with a bull and, hopefully, become a mother herself".  (https://thespinoff.co.nz/partner/auckland-zoo/22-04-2021/the-end-of-auckland-zoos-elephant-era/)

World Elephant Day: 12 August

World Elephant Day has been held internationally on 12th August since 2012 to help conserve and protect elephants (see: https://worldelephantday.org/about). The Auckland Zoo celebrates this event and has supported elephants in Sri Lanka through a partnership with the Centre for Conservation and Research (CCR). The Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund has funded GPS technology to gather tracking and conservation data. (See: Auckland Zoo: Conserving Asian elephants in Sri Lanka)

Did you know?

• Ears of African elephants are shaped like the African continent and are larger than Asian elephants whose ears are shaped like the Indian subcontinent.
• Elephant's temporal lobe (the area of the brain associated with memory) is larger and denser than that of people - hence the saying  'elephants never forget'. 

   Source: WWF: Top 10 facts about elephants https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/fascinating-facts/elephants

Find out more:

• Auckland Zoo: Auckland Zoo announces decision to move elephants (Jane Healy, 25 November 2020): https://www.aucklandzoo.co.nz/news/auckland-zoo-announces-decision-to-move-elephants
• The elephant database has a historical list of elephants in the Auckland Zoo and other zoos around the world. A search of an elephant's name will give you a photo (if available), birth and death year, dates when resided in the Zoo, and reference sources.
• Derek Wood (1992), A tiger by the tail: a history of Auckland Zoo, 1922 – 1992.  (Auckland N.Z.: Auckland City) [Copies of this book are held by National Library]
• Since 2011, the Auckland Zoo has been supporting elephants in Sri Lanka through their partnership with the Centre for Conservation and Research (CCR). The Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund has been able to fund GPS technology to gather  tracking and conservation data.     
• World Elephant Day has been held on 12th August since 2012 to help conserve and protect elephants  (see: https://worldelephantday.org/about). 
• For further discussion about different beliefs on keeping animals, including elephants, in zoos, see: NZQA Resource Booklet: Caging animals in zoos and aquariums (Level 2 Social Studies, 2017:  91279 Demonstrate understanding of conflict(s) arising from different cultural beliefs and ideas)