Elephant profiles

MEET THE HERD

Elephant Keeper Jasmine gives us the lowdown on how to identify who’s who in Melbourne Zoo’s herd of Asian Elephants and what their family connections are.

Each elephant in Melbourne Zoo’s Trail of the Elephants has its own unique personality and identifying characteristics. Get to know each member of the herd and see if you can spot who’s who next time you visit.

WORDS Alegria Alano

LUK CHAI

MAN JAI

Man Jai, who was born at Melbourne Zoo, is nine years old and has become independent. “From the age of eight or nine onwards, bulls live a satellite existence to the herd,” explains Jasmine. Man Jai likes to spend time alone in the first habitat of the Trail of the Elephants.

As the youngest, he’s never seen a calf before. “He’s going to have to be big brother,” says Jasmine. “He’ll be so curious and it’ll be really interesting to see his reaction.” “If you see an elephant on its own, it’s going to be one of the bulls,” says keeper Jasmine. The bulls spend at least two to three days alone but socialise as they would in the wild.

Luk Chai, a 13-year-old bull, came from Taronga Western Plains in 2020 not only for breeding, but also to socialise and mentor Man Jai as he grows older. Luk Chai is the biggest elephant at the Zoo and is the father of the three calves expected to arrive in late 2022 and early 2023.

He has distinct pink colouring on his ears and a few extra rolls under his chin. He enjoys the water, so for the boys, socialising often happens in the pool.

“If Luk Chai is in, you couldn’t keep Man Jai out. He tries to ride him and push him into the water – it’s really like watching two boys play,” Jasmine says.

Luk Chai enjoys eating hay but does have another favourite food. “I’ve noticed Luk Chai sometimes heads straight for the celery past the hay,” explains Jasmine.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The Zoo’s Cooperative Conservation Breeding Program is crucial for the Endangered Asian Elephant. It is the reason the herd keeps growing, with new breeding members, calves already born at the Zoo, and three more on the way. Having three calves in a herd at once mirrors herd dynamics in the wild. The trio of calves will be able to develop together and teach each other the ways of being an elephant. It also means the mothers can learn, observe and support each other throughout the pregnancies and birthing process. The mums-to-be live their everyday life during gestation, which can be up to 22 months. “We allow them to be elephants, be together and do their own thing. We invest a lot of energy setting up their habitats with resources, variation and interest to really get them out and about,” Jasmine says.

MATRIARCH

MEK KAPAH

Came to the Zoo in 1978 when she was five as the Zoo’s first elephant

NUM-OI

Came to the Zoo in 2006

LUK CHAI

Came from Taronga Western Plains in 2020

Calf expected Early 2023 Calf expected Late 2022

KULAB

Kulab arrived at Melbourne Zoo in 2006 from Thailand and is the only elephant at the Zoo with tusks. She is the mother of Ongard – born at Melbourne Zoo in 2010 – who is part of a breeding program in America.

“Kulab is tightly bonded with Num-oi,” explains Jasmine. The two came to the Zoo at the same time and are only a year in age apart – Num-oi is 21 and Kulab is 22. Kulab will likely be paired with Numoi during birth for support.

NUM-OI

Expectant mum Num-oi has noticeably rounded features. “She’s got big feet, wide legs, a really round face and is very hairless,” says Jasmine. Num-oi has a cautious personality. If the herd is moving, you’ll often find Num-oi towards the back waiting for others to pass through. “You’ll see her eyes scanning the environment to make her decision about her best pathway because she is the more subordinate female. She’s not going to push anyone off their food, she knows she’s going to have to find what hasn’t been found yet,” Jasmine explains.

MALI

“If you see the females together, the smallest one will definitely be Mali,” says Jasmine. She also has a distinct zig-zag tail that she got from her father Bong Su. Mali was the first elephant to be born at Melbourne Zoo and is now expecting. As a first-time mum, 12-year-old Mali gets special treats. “She gets a few extra biscuits of lucern to make sure that she’s getting enough nourishment to continue growing while she’s also growing a calf,” says Jasmine. Jasmine and the keepers are confident that she’ll take to motherhood well. “We think she’ll do great because she’s always been a really great big sister to Man Jai, and she’s shown signs of being really protective,” Jasmine says.

DOKKOON

Came to the Zoo in 2006

BONG SU

(deceased)

KULAB

Came to the Zoo in 2006

DOKKOON

Dokkoon’s most characteristic feature is her droopy earlobes. “It’s like she’s wearing teardrop shaped earrings,” says Jasmine. She shares this trait with her daughter Mali, with whom she is tightly bonded. She is the second oldest elephant at 29. Dokkoon’s favourite food is fresh browse – a mix of twigs, branches and stumps that the elephants graze on by stripping leaves and bark and breaking off smaller shards to eat.

LUK CHAI MALI

First calf born at the Zoo 2010

MAN JAI

Born at the Zoo 2013

ONGARD

First bull born at the Zoo in 2010 – now in America as part of a breeding program

MEK KAPAH

In the female herd, Mek Kapah is the biggest, oldest – at 49-years – and hairiest. She arrived at the Zoo on 11 May 1978 from Malaysia. She is the matriarch (leader) of the herd and is closely bonded with Dokkoon.