Three baby elephant calves are due for delivery at Melbourne Zoo in November, December and January, and it sounds as though their arrival is well timed. 

Not only are the elephants due for transfer to an expansive new habitat in Werribee in 2024, but the zoo itself has adopted a new elephant-led approach to their care, in which the animals have greater autonomy - including everything from choosing when to offer up their ear for a blood test to when (and whether) they might enter a crate for transportation.

In an interview hosted by Good Weekend senior writer Melissa Fyfe - author of Baby Giants, our featured story this week - veteran zookeeper Lucy Truelson talks about everything from breeding in captivity to the splendour of working with a five tonne animal. “The key for us as zookeepers is delving into ‘How do these animals live in the wild?’" Truelson says. "Let’s learn about that, and then ask ‘How do we replicate that in their everyday care?’”