Zoo to receive a large delivery   

This weekend, the zoo will receive an eight tonne delivery of 2 new elephants from Hanover Zoo, Germany.

Asian elephants, Jenny and Dunja left Germany yesterday morning, bound for Belfast, on a route that will take between 2 and 3 days to complete. Their placement in Belfast was recommended by the European coordinator of the Asian Elephant breeding programme.

In this photo, issued by Hanover Zoo, Jenny and Dunja are saying goodbye to their German friends. Ex circus elephants, 48 year old Jenny and 32 year old Dunja have left a large herd of elephants to join their new companions in Belfast. “Of course we’re delighted to find Jenny and Dunja such a good retirement home,” said Hanover Zoo Director, Klaus-Michael Machens. “But we’re also very sad to see them go. Jenny’s lived here for over a quarter-century – she’s a real Hannover celebrity. We’ll all miss her very much.”

Alyn Cairns, curator of elephants, said “The elephant team and I are excited about their arrival. This year we changed our elephant husbandry techniques. We now care for non-breeding females in a protective contact environment. It’s like a retirement home for older elephants that have their own space within the confines of a enclosure.“

In February, Tina the grand old elephant of the zoo was joined by elephant Yhetto, who came from Krefeld Zoo, Germany. With the large delivery this weekend, the zoo will now care for 4 Asian elephants. You will be able to see all 4 elephants this Easter in the zoo.

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