Ten tonnes of precious grey cargo have started the 2700km journey across the Nullarbor, marking the end of more than a century of elephants at Perth Zoo.

The zoo officially closed the chapter on its elephant era after 127 years when its last resident elephant Putra Mas boarded his crate on Monday morning to start the lengthy road trip to his new home in South Australia at Monarto Safari Park, about 70km south-east of Adelaide.

It’s believed to be the longest overland trip ever undertaken by a fully grown bull elephant in recorded history.

There Putra Mas will be met by at least one familiar face, with Perth Zoo’s last female elephant Permai having made the journey over earlier this year.

Putra Mas will complete Monarto Safari Park’s founding elephant herd as the founding male, alongsid

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