Auckland Zoo welcomes new elephant Anjalee

Auckland Zoo's newest and heaviest addition has arrived at last - the nearly 9-year-old elephant Anjalee has flown in from the tropics and is settling in to a slightly colder climate.

The 1.7 tonne female Asian elephant was brought from Sri Lanka to New Zealand, via Niue for a 3-month quarantine, to keep the zoo's 32-year-old female elephant Burma company. Burma had been lonely since her friend Kashin died in 2009.

A large crane lifted Anjalee and her crate into her new enclosure. Photo / Nick Reed

It wasn't a straightforward trip for the young orphan, who stands 2 metres tall - she was flown form Colombo to Auckland in March on a freight plane, before being transferred to a New Zealand Defence Force C-130 Hercules and flown to Niue, a 30-plus hour flight, for quarantine and testing to confirm she was disease free.

In Niue, she spent a lot of time chasing chickens around her enclosure.

After a five hour flight accompanied by an entourage of defence force personnel, Anjalee landed at Whenuapai airport and was transported by truck to Western Springs.

Then it was Operation Dumbo Drop, as a large crane lifted the elephant and her 1.4 tonne crate into her new enclosure.

Once she's settled in to her restricted barn and paddock area (zoo staff are unable to give a timeframe for this as it'll depend on how fast she takes a liking to her new home), zoo visitors will be able to see her in all her glory - but Anjalee will have to wait 21 days before she and Burma can take a stroll outside of their enclosure for a meet and greet with the rest of the zoo's occupants.

When Anjalee and 3.3 tonne Burma become used to each other it's expected Burma will take on the role of matriarch - much like an older auntie.

Anjalee was born on August 23, 2009 at Sri Lanka's Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage and her name means 'gracious gift.'

The project to bring her to New Zealand was approved in 2011 by Auckland Council, which has put $3.2 million towards it, at no cost to ratepayers.

In 2013, Prime Minister John Key was criticized for taking a softer stance on human rights issues in Sri Lanka after talks with President Mahinda Rajapksa.

But he said he would not go soft on the country for tradeoffs in other areas, like the promise to send Auckland Zoo two elephants - Anjalee and a second elephant which is come to New Zealand within two years.