Dublin Zoo welcomes arrival of first bull elephant with tusks named Aung Bo

Weighing nearly five tonnes and standing three metres tall, 22-year-old Aung Bo is an Asian elephant, usually found in countries including Sri Lanka, Nepal and Borneo.

An elephant care expert who built a close relationship Aung Bo during his 12 year stay at Chester Zoo has joined him on his journey to Dublin and will stay with him while he gets adjusted to his new surroundings.

Ahead of the move, members of the team at Dublin Zoo did preparation work at Chester Zoo, learning about Aung Bo to make sure the move across the Irish Sea goes as smoothly as possible.

He has joined an all-female herd in the elephant habitat alongside Dina (40), Aaha (17), Samiya (10), Zinda (8) and Avani (7), and will be introduced to them in the next few weeks.

Despite his massive size, Dublin Zoo have said Aung Bo “has a very gentle nature”. Only male Asian elephants have tusks, which are elongated front teeth that extend beyond an elephant’s mouth, used for digging, foraging and stripping bark from…