Three elephants named Dara, Amoi, and Kelat were moved from Zoo Taiping in Perak, Malaysia, to Tennoji Zoo in Osaka, Japan, in March 2026 under a conservation collaboration between the two zoos [1]. The transfer followed an existing agreement between Zoo Taiping and Night Safari (ZTNS) and Tennoji Zoo that governs the elephants’ welfare, veterinary care, nutrition, and daily management against international standards and best practices [2, 1, 3].

Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh stressed that the process of bringing the elephants back to Malaysia cannot be rushed. "It's not a case of deciding today and bringing them back tomorrow," he said, noting the cooperation agreement requires careful consideration and assessment [2]. The Taiping Municipal Council also holds rights to conduct regular audits, joint committee meetings, and monitor compliance with the agreement [1, 3].

Taiping Municipal Council president Mohamed Akmal Dahalan said any decision to repatriate or end the cooperation must be based on clear evidence of breaches, especially related to animal welfare. "Any decision related to terminating the cooperation programme, including the return of the elephants or implementation of repatriation, must be made on clear grounds and supported by reasonable evidence of breaches of the agreement," he said [1].

The welfare of the elephants at Tennoji Zoo has drawn public concern in Malaysia, leading to calls from NGOs and others for their return. Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said such proposals should be seriously considered [2, 4].

Meanwhile, a five-day biodiversity exploration programme began May 18 in Malaysia's Central Forest Spine ecological network. The event involves 120 researchers and experts aiming to better understand forest connectivity and ecological corridors for improved conservation efforts, Syed Ibrahim said [2, 4].

The confidentiality of the full cooperation agreement remains protected by legal obligations, but the document will be available to investigating authorities if needed [1, 3]. The process to repatriate the elephants will proceed only after thorough reviews and compliance checks, with no fixed timeline currently available [2, 4].