Kolmarden Zoo in Sweden

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Kolmarden Zoo
enclosures and the stables. Photo: © Lillian Berthung
Local name	Kolmårdens djurpark
Type	zoo
Founded	1964
First elephant arrived	1964
Opened for public	1965
Place	Kolmarden
Country	Sweden
Website	Website
Related persons
Owner	Parks & Resorts Scandinavia (since 2000)


Key People	2007-2012: Karolina Bördin (researcher)
Zoological department

Head Veterinarian	2011-now: Torsten Möller 2000-2011: Bengt Röken

Veterinarians	2011-now: Louise Guevara 2000-2011: Torsten Möller 2007-2008: Therese Hård 1972-2000: Bengt Röken
Elephant department
Elephant management	Protected Contact, since 2017


Elephant consultant	2000-2000: Dan Koehl


Elephant Trainer	1967-1970: Franz Tisch

Head keepers of elephants
2012-now: Tommy Karlsson 2007-2010: Dan Koehl 1988-2002: Sven Mellgren 1973-1976: Rolf Claesson 1968-1973: Hans Romlund

Elephant keepers
2004-2007: Thomas Antmar 1991-2000: Pelle Zettersten 1975-1988: Sven Mellgren -2012: Andreas Levestam -2012: Stefan Aspengren -1991: Jonny Modig -1991: Robert Nilsson -1986: Jonny Boström

Record history
History of updates	2024-11-30: text 2025-03-18: PC 2025-04-11:

Latest document update	2025-04-11 17:41:53
Google map

Non-public back yard enclosures.

Description

Kolmarden Zoo, in Kolmarden, Sweden , was founded in 1964, opened for public in 1965 and the first elephant arrived in 1964

Kolmarden Zoo elephants are managed in Protected Contact, since 2017.

Living elephants

At the Kolmarden Zoo lives 3 elephants with records in this database: (detail list)

♀ Bua born 1997
♀ Sao Noi (Saonoi) born 1996
♂ Tonsak born 1998

Taxidermy specimens

Kolmarden Zoo has in its collection 1 elephantine museum specimens with records in this database:

(Measurements of teeth and body parts follow the system described by Maglio (1973; P = plate number, L = length, W = width, H = height, LF = lamellar frequency)

Gipsy (Gypsie) Accession nr: . Received: 1984-09-14 ♀ Gipsy (Gypsie)
Species: African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana)
* Born 1972 at Africa unspecified location † Dead 1984-09-14 at Kolmarden Zoo
Death: disease Death reason: collapsed. Meningitis?

Casualties

1 casualties

1991: elephant keeper Robert Nilsson fatal accident by Putschie. Donkey attacked Putsche, who pushed Nilsson into a wall † Robert Nilsson Died 1991, Kolmarden Zoo. Head and body crushed

Comments / picturesRiding operations were provided from late sixties until 1970 with the Austrian elephant trainer Franz Tisch, later with Sven Mellgren as head keeper. A breeding Group was developed in late 80s, with the bull Brahma, (who was managed in free contact) imported from Mysore in India as stud.

1963: The first two asian elephants arrive, female Chocolate and the male Nobi in same age.
After 1963: After Nobi died, another female was bought, with the name Sandra or Samba, her later whereabots are presently unknown.
1967: Donkey arrives?
1967: Samba probably was sold this year (To Russia?). Dinah, Mable and Delhi/Dahlia arrives, together with Austrian elephant trainer Franz Tisch and danish elephant keeper Hans Romlund.
1973: 3 Africans arrived, which were displayed in the Safaripark.
1974: The 3 africans were moved to the "Stäpp stables". Kolmarden has 3 Africans and 4 Asians.
1970: Three Asian elephants were sold to Denmark; Mable, Delhi to Vejle Zoo (Himmelpind) in Vejle, and later to Givskud Zoo in Vejle and Dinah was sold to Copenhagen Zoo, followed by the trainer Franz Tisch.
1974: 4 elephants; the asians Donkey and Chocolate, and the africans Noby and Gypsie, were transferred from the antelope stables to a new elephant house. Elephant keeper Sven Mellgren moved 1975 to Kolmarden from Skansen, where he had been trained by Sven Borg.
1985: Asian female elephant Mida arrives from Circus Corty Althoff.
1990: A new elephant house, Kolosseum, were built in 1989-1990 and Sven Mellgren became head keeper of the section with elephants, rhinos, giraffes and other Species. Putshi, female Asian elephant from Copenhagen Zoo arrives.
1991: Putschi killed elephant keeper Robert Nilsson.

Kolmarden Zoo in Sweden Sweden

In 1991, elephant keeper Robert Nilsson, here with Donkey, was killed by the elephant Putschie. Elephant keeper Pelle Zettersten moved 1991 to Kolmården from Stockholm Zoo (Skansen), where he had been trained by the head keeper Dan Koehl.

1994: Semi-adult male Asian elephant Brahma from Mathigodu elephant Camp, via Mysore Zoo, arrived with aircraft.

In the late nineties, Sven Mellgren became a victim of spine problems and sick leaves.

2000: Dan Koehl worked as elephant trainer on consultant contract, due to staff shortage, securing the elephant rides. This year also Sandai, Asian elephant from Duisburg Zoo arrives.

Kolmarden Zoo in Sweden Sweden

The old Group of females.

Unfortunately, just after the first cow was pregnant (Sandai) with Brahma, the Group started to get open infection of Tuberculosis, ,airborne Zoonotic disease (Infectious to humans)'>Tuberculosis. Due to Swedish regulations, the whole Group was euthanized, animal by animal, after they started to show positive TB-test with Trunk-wash.

Between 2001 and 2003, there was an outbreak of Tuberculosis, ,airborne Zoonotic disease (Infectious to humans)'>Tuberculosis in a Swedish zoo which involved elephants, giraffes, rhinoceroses and buffaloes. Cultures of Trunk lavages were used to detect infected elephants, tuberculin testing was used in the giraffes and buffaloes, and tracheal lavage and tuberculin testing were used in the rhinoceroses. The bacteria isolated were investigated by spoligotyping and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Five elephants and one giraffe were found to have been infected by four different strains of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, ,airborne Zoonotic disease (Infectious to humans)'>Tuberculosis.
Outbreak of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, ,airborne Zoonotic disease (Infectious to humans)'>Tuberculosis infection among captive Asian elephants in a Swedish zoo

After this the stable was in quarantine for some time, until the new elephant arrived from Thailand, a gift from the king of Thailand to the king of Sweden.

2004: 2 Asian females from Thailand arrived, Bua and Saonoi.

2007: Dan Koehl returned again, and Saba, Asian female from Zoo Le Pal in France arrived. The new Group consisted of Saba, Bua and Sao Noi. Saba was in Protected Contact for three years until her arrival in Kolmården in november 2007.

Kolmarden Zoo in Sweden Sweden

Left Sao Noi, right Bua, with trainer Dan Koehl

Kolmarden Zoo in Sweden Sweden

The new Group of females, with Dan Koehl. Photo: Emelie Olander.

Kolmarden Zoo in Sweden Sweden

From left: Saba, Sao Noi, and Bua. (elephant keeper Dan Koehl) Photo: Andreas Levestam

During 2007 and 2008 Research was being made by biologist Karolina Bördin.

The aim with this study was to measure the elephants’ motivation for different kinds of environmental Enrichment. This was done by letting the elephants pull a rope and thereby lift weights. If the elephant lifts the weights, she gets access to the Enrichment. The test is repeated once every day, with increased weight, until the elephant has reached her ”maximum price”. So far two tests have been carried out; a comparator test with hay (Saonoi pulled 454 kg and Bua pulled 381 kg) and an Enrichment test where the elephants opened the valve to a water hose (Saonoi pulled 309 kg and Bua pulled 236 kg). The next test will be on communication. Wild elephants communicate over large distances using infrasounds. To stimulate this behaviour in human care, an internet acoustic link was established with the German Colologne Zoo in order to offer Bua and Saonoi the opportunity to ”talk” to other elephants. Unfortunately, the project was not completed.

Dan Koehl left the Zoo in 2010, and since some years the elephants in Kolmården are in Protected Contact.

Karolina Bördin was tragically killed by Wolfs in the Wolf enclosure in Kolmarden Zoo in 17th of June, 2012.

2013 Namsai was born through AI from the bull Raja in Woburn, 2015 the elephant bull Tonsak was imported, and in 2020 Prince was born, with Tonsak as father.

2021: The bull calf Prince died in EEHV, Elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus.

References for records about Kolmarden Zoo

Recommended Citation

Koehl, Dan (2025). Kolmarden Zoo, Elephant Encyclopedia. Available online at https://www.elephant.se/location2.php?location_id=23. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolm%C3%A5rden_Wildlife_Park
https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/396907
https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/6736982
Outbreak of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among captive Asian elephants in a Swedish zoo, https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1136/vr.156.6.171

Links to websites about Kolmarden Zoo

Living elephants

Taxidermy specimens

Casualties

Recommended Citation

Sources used for this article is among others:

Recommended Links on Internet: