After nearly three decades apart, Munich's elephant cow Panang made her way back to her mother, Ceyla, in Zurich. This heartwarming journey, facilitated by a smooth trip in a special container and a flatbed truck, was hailed as a success by Daniel Materna, the team leader of the elephant keepers at Hellabrunn Zoo, according to news reports.
After arriving on Tuesday, Panang was given the chance to explore her new surroundings on her first day. Plans for a family reunion with Ceyla and Panang's younger sister, Farha, are in the works. It will be an exciting first encounter for Farha, as she has never met her older sister.
Panang was born in Zurich Zoo in 1989 and moved to Munich six years later. Meanwhile, Farha, born in 2005, has been living with Ceyla in Zurich. The family reunion was encouraged by the European Endangered Species Program (EEP), which strives to have elephants in zoos living in family groups composed of related elephant cows. This practice is modeled after the social structure of wild elephants and is thought to help build a reserve population.
Experts believe that even after 28 years, Ceyla will recognize Panang and be able to convince Farha to accept her. While reunions of separated elephant families are not a common practice in zoos, it is hoped that this reunion will contribute positively to the conservation of Asian elephants, currently numbering around 50,000 in the wild but trending downward.
The latest estimates indicate a dwindling Asian elephant population, and zoos can help conserve these animals by supporting international breeding initiatives to build up a reserve population. However, it's essential to provide suitable living conditions for these elephants to ensure their well-being and behavior. In the wild, Asian elephants form complex social structures with strong bonds between females, and maintaining these structures in zoos can be challenging. While zoos can play a role in raising awareness and contributing to conservation efforts, their direct impact on wild populations is limited.
