Special celebrations were held at Trail of the Elephants on May 11th in honour of two significant events, dating back 30 years to May 11, 1978.

That was the date when the orphaned Asian Elephant calf Mek Kapah arrived from Malaysia at Melbourne Zoo.

May 11, 1978 was also the day of the birth of Dave McKelson, who has grown up to be the senior keeper in the Zoo’s Trail of the Elephants.

Dave has now been at Melbourne Zoo for more than ten years and enjoys a very close relationship with Mek Kapah.

They have shared the excitement of the move from the historic exhibit where elephants lived for so many years before Trail of the Elephants opened in 2003.

Dave has especially enjoyed being part of the newest phase in Mek Kapah’s life: becoming the matriarch of the newly-created herd of females.

‘Since the three younger females arrived from Thailand in November 2006, Mek Kapah has played a very important role in helping them settle in here so quickly.

‘Mek Kapah was also a big help when the time came for the Dokkoon, Kulab, and Num-Oi to be introduced to Bong Su, the male she grew up with here at Melbourne Zoo.

‘Those introductions went very smoothly, and that was partly thanks to Mek Kapah taking on that matriarchal responsibility for the young ones,’ Dave says.

The three Thai elephants came to Australia as part of a new regional conservation breeding program for their endangered species.

Photograph courtesy of Jay Town/Herald Sun