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Dublin: 10 °C Wednesday 22 May, 2013

PHOTOS: Dublin Zoo’s new elephant is the largest animal in the zoo

The new elephant is 3 metres tall and weights over 6,000 kgs. Yowza.

Family fun
Family fun
Image: Dublin Zoo

THE LATEST ADDITION to Dublin Zoo is a little bigger than the new baby animals that are usually welcomed to the herd.

New elephant Upali arrived at the zoo at midnight on Thursday night from a zoo in England, and is now the largest animal at Dublin Zoo.

The 17-year-old is 3 metres high and weighs over 6,000 kgs (944 stone), which the Zoo helpfully tells us is equivalent to the weight of ten Friesian cows.

Dublin Zoo and the OPW built a special bull elephant house to accommodate Upali, which is 200 square metres with a glass ceiling, heating, and 1.5 metre-deep sand for him to stand on.

Upali is expected to mate with one of the three female elephants who are already in Dublin Zoo, which should double the size of the Dublin Zoo herd over the coming years. No pressure there, Upali.

PHOTOS: Dublin Zoo’s new elephant is the largest animal in the zoo
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  • New elephant at Dublin Zoo

  • New elephant at Dublin Zoo

  • New elephant at Dublin Zoo

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