What’s new at Estepona's Selwo Aventura safari park in 2026? Meet Hope, the newest Asian elephant

Estepona's wildlife park Selwo Aventura has added a new inhabitant: Hope, a six-year-old Asian elephant from Sumatra.

He has arrived from the Madrid Zoo Aquarium as part of the European Endangered Species breeding programmes (EEPs).

This young elephant, already weighing around 1,500 kilos, will live with Bogor, his maternal half-brother, another Asian elephant that has resided in Selwo since 2023.

Both lived together before for almost three years in the Madrid zoo and now they meet again in the facilities of this wildlife park on the Costa del Sol and, if all goes well, they will share adult life together.

The transfer is part of the coordinated conservation work carried out by the zoos belonging to the Iberian association of zoos and aquaria and their European counterpart through the European Endangered Species programmes. EEPs manage the reproduction and distribution of wild animals for conservation purposes.

Head of conservation at Selwo Aventura, Eloy Serrano, explains that "Hope's arrival falls within the framework of the European recovery programme for two reasons: firstly, because we are a leading centre for handling bachelor males, and secondly, so that both males grow up in a socially stable way and learn to interact with other elephants."

Serrano also highlights a factor that will facilitate the animal's adaptation to its new environment: his prior bond with Bogor. "Something very positive for this transfer is that they are half-siblings and have already lived in the same space, so we believe the bond will be very quick and they will grow up together."

With the arrival of Hope, Asian male elephants now make up the majority of the park's elephant herd. Bogor was the first male elephant to arrive at Selwo since 2016, which prompted the expansion and remodelling of the area dedicated to these animals.

At that time, the so-called Elephant Trail was occupied by two adult females: Tima and Jangoli. Tima died of natural causes in 2023, while Jangoli, now 58 years old, "continues to live in the park, although her social needs are different from those of the younger elephants," admits Serrano.

During the first few weeks, the new elephant will go through an acclimatisation phase, familiarising himself with all the facilities (sleeping quarters, pastures and the park's daily routines), as well as getting to know his keepers. Eloy Serrano explains that "at the same time, Hope and Bogor will begin to interact gradually, eye contact first and later with protected contact before direct contact is considered".

For the park team, this process represents a major challenge. "This addition is a challenge. Although they are young animals, the hurdles in bringing them together, getting them to bond and helping them grow into adults creates challenges for all the professionals working at Selwo Aventura," says Serrano.

Born in the midst of the pandemic

Hope was born on 8 March 2020 at the Madrid zoo, right at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, an event that certainly shaped his early life. "There were no visitors to the zoo and he was very well cared for by the Madrid elephant group, learning both from the group of females, with his mother leading the way, and from the males", explains Javier López, second in command of land mammal keepers at the Madrid zoo.

About to turn six, this young elephant also stands out for his character. "He's about to turn six and he's a bit of a rascal. He's cooperative when it comes to handling certain things and it's a pleasure to work with him," says López.

According to Serrano, the characteristics of the Estepona park are particularly suited to his development. "His arrival at Selwo has been very positive and the characteristics of this park are ideal for maintaining this species and also for encouraging their natural behaviours in the wild."

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