In early 2025, nine Asian elephants made history. Their journey from Melbourne Zoo to Werribee Open Range Zoo was a feat of planning, animal care, and collaboration that sets the stage for powerful new learning experiences for students.
The carefully coordinated move involved a convoy of trucks and a dedicated team of keepers, vets, and logistics experts, with each elephant transported in a specially designed crate and monitored closely throughout the process. The move marks a major milestone not only for elephant welfare in Australia, but for education programs that connect students with conservation and science in a real-world setting.
An expansive new home and classroom
The new habitat at Werribee Open Range Zoo is more than just large – it’s transformative. Spanning more than 22 hectares (approximately 11 times the size of the former Melbourne Zoo habitat), the complex was designed to reflect the elephants’ natural environment, with open grasslands, mud wallows, shaded resting areas, and dedicated water features. The habitat was constructed with 3,300 tonnes of sand, multiple pools, and varied topography to encourage natural behaviours like bathing, dusting, foraging, and social bonding.
The move brought all 9 of Zoos Victoria’s Asian elephants to a state-of-the-art habitat, allowing for multi-generational interactions – a social structure critical for the wellbeing of this endangered species. Students visiting Werribee can observe herd dynamics up close, with educators guiding inquiry into animal behaviour, welfare science, and the complex ethics of human-animal relationships.
Image supplied by Zoos Victoria
What this means for students
Werribee’s new elephant programs go far beyond observation. These education sessions place students alongside educators to explore real-world questions across science and sustainability. How do elephants communicate? What does conservation look like in practice? What role do humans play in protecting biodiversity?
With strong links to the Victorian Curriculum, the program supports critical and creative thinking while nurturing students’ sense of responsibility and connection to the natural world.
And every school visit includes a free safari tour, taking students on an open-range journey past rhinos, giraffes, zebras, antelope and more – expanding the lens from Asian elephants to broader ecosystems and the diversity of life they contain.
From city to savannah, bush to wetlands: Learning across Zoos Victoria’s 4 wild classrooms
The elephant relocation is just one part of Zoos Victoria’s wider education commitment. Across 4 unique properties, Zoos Victoria offers a wide range of excursion and digital learning experiences designed to inspire curiosity, deepen understanding, and empower action.
Image supplied by Zoos Victoria
Healesville Sanctuary: Located in the Yarra Valley, Healesville is a bushland sanctuary where students engage with native species and learn through Aboriginal knowledge systems. Programs led by Aboriginal educators explore kinship, Country, animal totems, and sustainable land care, connecting ancient perspectives with modern environmental thinking.
Melbourne Zoo: A world of wildlife in the heart of the city, Melbourne Zoo is just minutes from the CBD and easily accessed by public transport. It remains a hub for schools wanting to explore global biodiversity, endangered species, animal needs, and animal adaptations through a STEM-rich, interactive lens.
Kyabram Fauna Park: For schools in northern Victoria, Kyabram offers access to native wildlife in a regional setting. The park supports localised learning about ecosystems, species adaptation and environmental stewardship – particularly valuable for rural and remote schools seeking hands-on connections to conservation close to home. The park’s spectacular wetlands also provide a unique environment for hands-on discovery and connection with nature.
Digital Learning: Zoos Victoria also delivers free webinars, online teaching resources, and virtual zoo experiences, ensuring every student has access to wildlife education, regardless of location.
Image supplied by Zoos Victoria
The elephants may have moved, but the learning is just beginning. From Werribee’s sweeping grasslands to the bushland of Healesville, each Zoos Victoria property offers a distinct environment for engaging, curriculum-aligned learning. Whether it’s exploring global conservation with elephants, connecting to Country through Indigenous knowledge, or investigating ecosystems in your local region, Zoos Victoria helps bring the classroom to life – one unforgettable experience at a time.
Explore Zoos Victoria’s excursions, digital programs, free webinars, professional development, and more to bring learning to life and inspire action: https://www.zoo.org.au/education/
Zoo's Victoria's programs are funded by the Department of Education, and the Victorian Catholic Education Authority.
