Animal park welcomes 'impressive' bull elephant

An animal park in Kent has welcomed the arrival of a new bull elephant to its herd.

Howletts Wild Animal Park, near Canterbury, said the new resident, Shaka, came from Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in Bristol.

A spokesperson for the animal park said that two of their 15-year-old young males, Impi and Mchumba, had been relocated to the farm in the South West.

Collections manager Richard Barnes said the exchange was to benefit the existing herds at the two sites.

Barnes said: "Shaka will play an important role in regulating interactions, maintaining stability and strengthening the social dynamics of the group in Howletts."

The park described Shaka as "striking and impressive" and known for his "confident personality", adding that he would "naturally command respect among herd members".

Barnes said that for young males like Impi and Mchumba, leaving the herd was a normal stage in their development.

"We will miss them," he said

"They have become firm favourites among our keepers, known for their playful and cheeky personalities."

Barnes said that the move would enable the young bull elephants to continue growing in a social environment which suited to them.

The animal park said that in the wild, male elephants naturally left their birth group as they reached adolescence and began to establish themselves independently or among other males.

The dispersal is a key behavioural milestone that prevents competition within the family group and allows the herd, typically led by experienced females, to maintain a stable social structure.

The animal park, which is managed by Howletts Animal Park Trust, said that the site, alongside the Port Lympne Reserve, remained "deeply committed" to the long-term conservation of elephants.

The animal park added that it had been exploring overseas rewilding opportunities for a number of years, but so far it had been unsuccessful.

It confirmed that the herd would remain in place for the foreseeable future and work had started to create a new elephant house.

"Shaka's arrival comes just in time for May half term, giving visitors the chance to welcome this impressive new addition to the Howletts herd," a spokesperson said.

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