Two Asian elephants from Whipsnade Zoo move to new home as part of European breeding programme

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2025-07-09

Setting Beth's crate down onto the lorry Two Asian elephants have travelled across the country, in a move to boost the conservation breeding programme for the endangered species. The big move, which took months of planning and involved keepers, vets, two lorries, a crane able to carry 100 tons, and a team of animal transport experts, marks a critical step in efforts to protect the endangered species. 26-year-old Karishma and her nine-year-old daughter Elizabeth, or Beth as she is known by keepers, moved from Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire to their new home at Chester Zoo in Cheshire on Wednesday 9 July, and have been settling into their new surroundings before meeting the rest of the herd. The pair were transported in custom-built travel crates, weighing ten tons each, specially designed to keep them comfortable for the duration of their road trip - including being fitted with air conditioning and CCTV cameras for drivers to check on their precious passengers during the four-hour journey. The two lorries, driven by animal transport experts, travelled in convoy down the motorway with Whipsnade Zoo's elephant team leader Mark Howes and lead elephant keeper Emily Hanley in tow, to ensure the elephants saw a familiar face once they reached their destination., Credit:ZSL Whipsnade Zoo / Avalon

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