Father’s Day may have come early at Werribee Open Range Zoo (WROZ), as bull elephant Luk Chai shared a special reunion with his calves.
The four-tonne was greeted by matriarch Mek Kepah and adult females Mali, Kulab and Dokkoon for the first time since making the move to their new 21-hectare home in February.
Shortly after, two-year-old calves Roi-Yim and Aiyara approached their father and shared in the family reunion.
Luk Chai, like all bull elephants, likes to spend time roaming by himself, but also enjoys socialising.
Zoo elephant trail keeper Christie Trerice said she heard vocalisations from the elephants that she had never heard before.
“The elephants have different frequencies and pitches and it’s quite a lot to hear when all happening at once, but it’s beautiful because they are communicating together as a herd,” Ms Trerice said.
“This could indicate their excitement, surprise, be a way of greeting one another, and also a way of telling Luk Chai to move away. So, it is a mix of communication.”
Ms Trerice said the social sessions with the herd at the zoo are designed to replicate wild elephant behaviour, where bulls roam in and out of family groups.
“He really took some interest in them and some of the girls were very interested in him, while others not so much,” she said.
“It was also beautiful to see the calves approach Luk Chai as they haven’t spent too much time together.
“Seeing these behaviours is an indication of why this social time is so important. It’s not simply for the company or for mating – it’s also for life skill development for Luk Chai, the calves and the entire herd.”
While breeding is not currently occurring as the herd adjusts to the new environment at the zoo, keepers are optimistic about supporting future opportunities.
In February, the multigenerational nine-member Asian elephant herd made the move from Melbourne Zoo to WROZ new Elephant Trail.
