It is said that elephants never forget and Auckland Zoo says 27-year-old Burma has not recovered from her companion Kashin's death in August last year. “Since Kashin died in August 2009, Burma continues to be monitored closely,” the zoo says in a statement on its website.

But that's only part of the reason why the zoo is embarking on an ambitious project to bring in a herd of up to ten Asian elephants. The zoo also wants to establish a sustainable elephant breeding herd. “Initially, we plan to bring in two elephants to be companions for Burma, and as a start to building up to a breeding herd of 10 elephants.

But a group of prominent international zoologists and animal welfare advocates disagrees, saying no urban zoo in the world can adequately cater to the needs of elephants. “The critical issue is that we have not really worked out how to successfully manage the social life for elephants and social development in zoos. Zoos represent a particularly close form of confinement for elephants and a completely managed lifestyle,” says Peter Stroud, a zoological consultant in Australia.

“It is not difficult to breed elephants in the wild and not difficult when you give them space and a social life but zoos do have a lot of trouble with these issues because they are not managing the mental wellbeing of elephants.”

The group is calling on the Auckland Council to reconsider the $13 million of funding that was approved for the breeding programme by the now-defunct Auckland City Council in October. "The zoo is a valuable asset for Auckland. It is a professionally run organisation, by people who are passionate about animals and have their best interests at heart,” says Auckland Council's Regional Facilities CCO Chairman, Sir Don McKinnon.

"Establishing an elephant herd is an important project for Auckland Zoo. There are a number of complexities that will need to undergo a careful evaluation process.”The group also says the plan is cruel - elephants are creatures of habit, and can never fully adjust to new habitats or family groupings. And that the zoo's proposed 22,000 square metre habitat is far too small for a herd of ten.

“22,000 square metres, that is reasonable by urban zoo standards but compared with the space a wild elephant family would occupy, that is a tiny area which would not contain a herd of elephants for more than a few minutes.”“It’s like putting a person in a hotel room and saying that is all you need,” says Mr Stroud.He says the logical thing to do would be to move Burma to other elephants.

“Now the question is; what is the best thing to do for her? Leaving her there is not the answer and bringing elephants to her is not the answer either.”Mr McKinnon says Regional Facilities Auckland and the Auckland Council will consider the proposal in the New Year.