Visitors to Zürich Zoo in Switzerland can now get up close and personal with the park’s six Indian elephants following the opening of the new CHF57m (US$63.3m, €46.7m, £37.8m) Kaeng Krachan elephant park on 8 June (Sunday).

The new 11,000sq m (118,400sq ft) elephant enclosure features six water basins, one of which offers an aquarium view of the animals swimming underwater.

The basin has a glass wall – reinforced to take the weight of the elephant-sized occupants – and is designed to give the elephants conditions that more closely resemble their natural environment.

The habitat also features an area for the elephants to ‘socialise’ where keepers are not allowed to go, with covered and open areas with different vegetation.

“Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Rome the Coliseum – Zürich now has its elephant park,” said zoo chair, Martin Naville.

The cost of the elephant park was financed through foundation grants, legacies and sums donated by more than 5,500 members of the public.