Elephant to get peak-hour police escort through Adelaide suburbs as Burma heads to new home at Monarto Zoo

Elephants sometimes cause stampedes – but a jumbo-sized new arrival in Australia might well have the opposite effect on peak-hour traffic along several Adelaide roads and a major highway.

Incoming Asian elephant, Burma, is expected to touch down at Adelaide Airport on Tuesday after making the trans-Tasman journey from Auckland Zoo.

Burma is one of five pachyderms that are expected to form a herd at South Australia’s Monarto Safari Park by the end of next year – and, according to Zoos SA, her “trunk” has well and truly been “packed” for the trip ahead.

SA police have teamed up with Zoos SA to provide a special police escort for the truck that will transport the 42-year-old elephant to her new home near Murray Bridge.

“Our officers will be escorting the heavy vehicle transporting Burma from the airport, through the metropolitan area,” police said.

“The truck will be travelling at a lower speed limit, especially as it will be peak-hour traffic on Glen Osmond Road.”

The motorcade will set off from Adelaide Airport about 5pm, before making its way onto the South Eastern Freeway.

“The tunnels will be reduced to one lane to accommodate the truck whilst moving through, so expect some delays,” police said.

While the journey might be one that Burma and her adoring public will never forget, police have advised drivers to plan their travel in advance to ensure the elephant’s journey is “smooth and safe”.

Once Burma arrives at her new “forever home” at Monarto – where construction is underway on an elephant habitat that includes a range of vegetation, several waterholes and a barn – she will begin a 30-day quarantine period.

“As is a standard requirement for all international zoo-to-zoo animal transfers, Burma will be in quarantine at Monarto Safari Park for her first month where she’ll have the support, familiar company and expert care of her elephant keepers who are making the trip with her from Auckland,” a Monarto spokesperson said.

“Everyone involved in Burma’s transfer has a job to do, and we need to remain focused on doing that and getting Burma to her new home, safe and sound and as quickly as possible.”

According to Zoos SA, Burma was born in Myanmar in 1982 and, after spending time at a logging camp, arrived at Auckland Zoo eight years later.

Auckland Zoo said the 3.5-tonne elephant had recently been practising getting in and out of her transport crate, which is 3 metres high, 4 metres long and just under 2 metres wide.

Burma’s arrival will come just days ahead of the departure of Adelaide Zoo’s two giant pandas.

Wang Wang and Fu Ni are expected to return to China next week.

-ABC