Animal welfare advocates in Malaysia remain steadfast in calling for the return of three Asian elephants that were sent to Japan.
Dara, Amoi, and Kelat, aged 20, 14, and nine, respectively, were transferred from the Taiping Zoo & Night Safari in Perak to Tannoji Zoo in Osaka, Japan in March.
Advocates are now citing concerns about the animals’ well-being.
They claim the elephants are showing signs of zoochosis, a behavioural and mental disorder experienced by wild animals in captivity.
According to CNA, the elephants were sent to Japan under a 25-year conservation and research agreement involving Taiping Zoo, Tannoji Zoo, and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN).
Discussions about the transfer had reportedly been ongoing since 2022.
However, the nonprofit organisation Elephants in Japan highlighted that Tennoji Zoo had described the animals as “rescued elephants from Malaysia” in an announcement.
This raised questions about the real purpose of their transfer.
Source: Tannoji Zoo website
Malaysian advocates further questioned why the elephants, which had been raised in an conservation facility dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and protection of elephants, were sent overseas to live in a zoo.
They feared the elephants would spend the rest of their lives confined for exhibition rather than living in an environment that prioritises their well-being.
Before the elephants were even transferred, Tannoji Zoo already had a poor reputation among elephant welfare advocates.
It previously housed an elephant named Hiroko, who lived alone for nine years and died in 2018 at the age of 48.
Advocates believe that the elephant suffered greatly in its final days due to neglect, as its caretakers were not equipped to care for it.
Source: The Petition Site
“Hiroko suffered from a debilitating foot disease that was so serious it led to her collapse and ultimate death,” read a petition which called for Tannoji Zoo to permanently close its elephant exhibit and not to bring in any more elephants
Despite this, the zoo was reported to have been preparing to acquire new elephants as part of its major redevelopment project in June 2025.
Source: Elephants in Japan
In July 2026, after the arrival of Dara, Amoi and Kelat, an independent assessment by an elephant conservation biologist also found that the space accessible to the elephants is much smaller than what was stated by the Tennoji Zoo director in March.
According to Dr Keith Lindsay, the area accessible to the elephants was 1,612sqm — about 66% smaller than the 4,700sqm the zoo had announced.
Some advocates have shared videos that allegedly depict the elephants not being treated well at Tannoji Zoo.
They also claimed they were showing signs of zoochosis, such as shaking their heads, due to psychological stress caused by living in cramped spaces and being away from their natural habitats.
A petition to return Dara, Amoi, and Kelat also remains ongoing and has gained over 182,000 signatures out of its 190,000 goal at the time of writing.
Source: Kembalikan DAK on Facebook
However, the Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) and Taiping Zoo claim the elephants are adjusting well in Tannoji Zoo.
“Based on the latest reports received, all three elephants are showing good progress in terms of health, appetite, behavior and adaptation to the new environment,” they said in a joint statement on 8 Aug.
Regarding a viral video showing Amoi biting a hay net, the MPT said such behaviour cannot be directly attributed to stress, starvation, or poor animal welfare.
“Hay nets are one of the environmental enrichment tools widely used in zoos and wildlife conservation centers around the world,” they wrote.
In June, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) began investigating the allegations that about RM53 million had been paid to several individuals in relation to the elephant’s transfer to Japan.
The wildlife rights group Hak Asasi Hidupan Liar Malaysia (Hidup) raised the accusation, but it is unclear what the alleged payment was for.
Source: Wee Ka Siong on Facebook
The probe focused on the national resources and environmental sustainability ministry, PERLIHITAN, and the agents involved in the animals’ transfer.
In July, the MACC said it has not found any suspicious fund transfers involving former Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
However, they said they are still going to investigate four suspects, including a former civil servant, an active civil servant, and two company owners.
Also read: Elephant in Thailand dies of organ failure after being paralysed & bedridden for 8 years
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Featured image adapted from 地方独立行政法人天王寺動物園 on Facebook.