Elephants in 10-tonne crates moved to new home

The crates containing the elephants were carefully picked up by a crane and transferred onto the lorry

Two Asian elephants have been transported across the country as part of a conservation breeding programme for the endangered species.

Karishma, 26, and her nine-year-old daughter Elizabeth, moved from Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire to their new home at Chester Zoo in Cheshire.

The move took months of planning and involved keepers, vets, two lorries, a crane able to carry 100 tonnes, and a team of animal transport experts.

Stefan Groeneveld, section manager for elephants at Whipsnade Zoo, said that collaboration between zoos was "integral to keeping a strong and healthy insurance population for animals at risk of extinction in the wild".

Asian elephants Karishma (left) and her daughter Beth (right) are now settling in to their new surroundings

The elephants were transported in custom-built travel crates, weighing 10 tonnes each, specially designed to keep them comfortable for the duration of their road trip.

This included being fitted with air conditioning and CCTV cameras for drivers to check on them during the four-hour journey.

The two lorries, driven by animal transportation experts, travelled in convoy down the motorway with two of the keepers from Whipsnade Zoo.

Beth and Karishma received a health check from the zoo's vet team to confirm they were fit and healthy for the move.

The lorries containing the elephants left Whipsnade Zoo and travelled in convoy to Chester in July. On board, the mother and daughter had snacks for the road trip, including fresh hay and water

Mr Groeneveld said the "wild population of Asian elephants is dwindling due to habitat loss, degradation, and poaching for their ivory tusks", and conservation breeding programmes were vital.

He added: "It was a bittersweet day for all of the elephant keepers here when we said farewell to two of our elephants, Beth and Karishma.

"Karishma arrived at Whipsnade Zoo just over 20 years ago, and she and her daughter Beth, named after HM Queen Elizabeth II, have been much-loved members of our herd."

He said that their remaining herd of five elephants, including male Ming Jung, females Kaylee, Lucha, and Donna, and calf Nang Phaya, would continue to contribute to the breeding programme at Whipsnade Zoo.