Lone Male Elephant Finally Found Mate From Cambodia

via Khmer NZ

SEOUL, July 8 (Bernama) -- A lone male elephant in a Seoul zoo has finally found a mate after 10 months of diplomacy with Cambodia, as a South Korean Air Force plane is airlifting a pair of elephants from the Southeast Asian nation.

Seoul's elephant diplomacy began last year, when an official in charge of Children's Grand Park, the largest zoo in Seoul, asked Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon for help in finding a mate for the only male elephant at the zoo.

There are only five female elephants in zoos across South Korea, and all of them are too old to become pregnant, reports Yonhap news agency on Thursday.

The country could not purchase elephants from foreign countries because international trade in elephants is banned under the Convention of International Trade In Endangered Species (CITIES).

Lee sought help from Cambodia, a country that holds one of the largest populations of Asian elephants.

After 10 months of negotiations, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has recently agreed to donate a pair of elephants, including a 27-year-old female, officials said.

South Korea dispatched an Air Force C-130 cargo plane to Cambodia on Tuesday to transport the animals to Seoul. The elephants are scheduled to arrive in South Korea late Thursday, officials said.

"This was possible because Cambodia's government accepted our request in consideration of friendly relations" between the two countries, a foreign ministry official said on customary condition of anonymity.

The elephants will be made public at the Seoul zoo as early as this month, officials said.