THEY were born in Thailand and have just spent six months on a remote Indian Ocean island — but if evidence of an easy-going attitude is anything to go by, Torongo Zoo’s new arrivals are all Aussie.

Despite the 14-hour flight from the Cocos Islands, where they have been in quarantine since June, the four female Asian elephants who arrived in Sydney on Thursday appear to have adapted quickly to their new environment.

They swam in the pools of their enclosure, sprayed dirt over themselves and tore up the grass, unconcerned by the zoo staff and the crowds who came to see them.

NSW Environment Minister Bob Debus spruiked the arrival of the elephants, after 18 months of controversy and legal action by animal welfare groups, as a triumph for the state’s people.

Right on cue, the four elephants splashed and played behind him in perfect tableau for the television cameras.

“The elephants are in fantastic condition, which is a tribute to the dedication and expertise of their keepers, who have lived with them for two years in Thailand and the Cocos Islands,” Mr Debus said.