South Africa’s last zoo elephant has been released back into the wild after 40 years of captivity.
The elephant, named Charlie, was captured in 1984 from Zimbabwe’s Hwange national park when he was two years old.
He was taken to Boswell Wilkie Circus in South Africa and trained to perform tricks. In the early 2000s he was transferred to the country’s only national zoo.
In recent years, animal welfare groups have pushed for the elephant to be freed due to concern for his health.
On Tuesday, EMS Foundation, which advocates for the rights of wildlife, announced that after “a nail-biting four-hour trip to freedom” the elephant had arrived at his new home at the Shambala Private Reserve in Limpopo province.
It said the “historic event” followed years of negotiation with the South African government, after EMS Foundation and its partners provided scientific evidence to show that elephants suffer in zoos.
At the zoo, Charlie the elephant is said to have witnessed the death of four other elephants, including his own calf which was less than a month old.
In 2019, concerns were raised that the elephant was showing signs of distress common with animals in captivity.
The South African National Biodiversity Institute, which runs the zoo, denied it, saying it was behaviour learnt from years of circus life that would never be completely unlearned. EMS Foundation said this was “inaccurate”.
The elephant’s new home is a 10,000-hectare reserve with a thriving population of elephants, known to successfully reintegrate animals back into the wild.
While there, Charlie will be closely monitored by veterinary and behavioural experts.
Credit: bbc.com
