Construction on Werribee Zoo’s new Elephant home reaches half-way mark

Construction has reached the halfway mark on Victoria’s new home for the majestic Asian Elephant herd with the new barns being delivered as part of the State Government’s $88 million Werribee Open Range Zoo Expansion project.

The family of Asian elephants will arrive from Melbourne Zoo to Werribee Open Range Zoo later this year.

Zoos Victoria Chief Executive Dr Jenny Gray notes “seeing the towering barns take shape in the landscape is a milestone moment that signals just how close we are to migrating our nine-strong elephant herd from Melbourne Zoo to their new home at Werribee Open Range Zoo.” 

Built within Werribee Zoo’s expansive 21-hectare elephant habitat, the herd will benefit from seven different yards, elephant overpasses connecting the yards, two mega pools and a visitor walking trail.

The weather-proof barns will have ceilings towering over nine metres and a luxurious two-metre deep sandpit providing elephants with comfortable sleeping mounds.

The barns have also been designed to support ongoing elephant healthcare and wellbeing, with a training facility at the back to allow keepers to deliver regular elephant health checks – including blood tests, weigh-ins, and oral health procedures.

Visitors will be able to view all areas of the barn while two dedicated overpass bridges will allow Asian elephants to pass over visitor walking trails.

The Werribee Open Range Zoo expansion covers an area of elephantine proportions, equivalent to the size of five MCG stadiums and the entire Melbourne Zoo – creating more than 100 local construction jobs in the process.

The experience is expected to open to visitors in early 2025 after the entire Asian Elephant herd moves to their new home in Melbourne’s west later this year.