Three female elephants have taken their first steps outside at Poznań Zoo, just days after arriving from Duisburg.
Daisy, 41, Etosha, 36, and 35-year-old Saiwa reached Poznań in the early hours of Wednesday, 9 September, beginning a carefully managed introduction to their new surroundings at the Słoniarnia elephant house in the New Zoo.
The three elephants had already settled into their individual enclosures by 7 am on the day of their arrival. With the help of three elephant keepers who travelled from Duisburg, they were able to start exploring the large indoor area known as the biegalnia the following day.
Their first outdoor exploration came on Friday, when the elephants were introduced to the eastern enclosure, the largest outdoor space available to them.
It also provided an important first opportunity to begin getting acquainted with Poznań's resident elephants, Kizi and Ninio.
For now, those encounters are taking place with a barrier between the animals. This allows the elephants to see, smell and hear one another while keeping the introductions under close supervision.
A busy first weekend in Poznań
Visitors to the New Zoo on Saturday were already able to see the newcomers outside.
The three elephants made good use of the enrichment features around the enclosure, exploring their new environment and interacting with the different elements provided for them.
The zoo says the adaptation process is progressing calmly and according to plan, although the next stages will require plenty of patience and work from both the Poznań team and the keepers who have come from Duisburg.
Building a new elephant group
The arrival of Daisy, Etosha and Saiwa is part of a longer-term effort to establish a social group in which the elephants can develop relationships that are natural for their species.
Poznań Zoo says a group of at least four females is needed for those social relationships to develop properly.
The newcomers are also sharing their new surroundings with 26-year-old male elephant Ninio, who has shown considerable interest in the three arrivals. That interest appears to be mutual.
Kizi, meanwhile, has so far remained neutral towards the newcomers. Even without direct contact, however, she will be aware of their presence through their scents and the low rumbling calls they make.
Much of elephant communication takes place at frequencies below the range of human hearing. What visitors hear are the higher-frequency sounds, meaning that there is a considerable amount of elephant conversation taking place beyond our ears.
For visitors watching the elephants at the New Zoo, the coming weeks should therefore offer an unusual glimpse of a group getting to know one another. The introductions will continue gradually, with the animals' behaviour guiding the pace of the process.
For now, Daisy, Etosha and Saiwa are taking their first look at their new home, while the keepers carefully prepare for the next stage of their life in Poznań.
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