South Africa’s last zoo elephant has been released back into the wild after 40 years in captivity.
This elephant, whose name is Charlie, was captured in 1984 in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe when he was two years old.
He was taken to the Boswell Wilkie Circus in South Africa and trained in tricks. In the early 2000s he was transferred to the country’s only zoo.
In recent years, animal welfare groups have pushed for the elephant’s release out of concern for its health.
On Tuesday, the EMS Foundation, which fights for the rights of wild animals, announced that after a “nail-biting four-hour journey to freedom” the elephant had arrived at its new home in the Shambala Private Reserve in Limpopo province.
It said the “historic event” followed years of dialogue with the South African government, after the EMS Foundation and its partners provided scientific evidence to show that elephants are suffering in zoos.
In the park, it is said that Charlie the elephant saw the death of four other elephants, including his calf that was less than a month old.
In 2019, concerns were raised that the elephant was showing signs of stress common to captive animals.
The South African National Biodiversity Institute, which runs the zoo, dismissed it as a behavior learned over many years of circus life that it will never completely stop. The EMS Foundation said this was “unfair”.
On Tuesday, the animal welfare organization Four Paws, in partnership with the EMS Foundation, said “the retirement of the elephant was an important step for Charlie the elephant but also for better animal welfare in South Africa”.
“Together with our partners, we have been working hard to alleviate Charlie’s loneliness so we can see him thrive in his new animal sanctuary,” said Josef Pfabigan, CEO of Four Paws.
The elephant’s new home is a 10,000-hectare reserve with a large elephant population, known for successfully reintroducing animals back into the wild.
While there, Charlie will be closely monitored by animal and behavioral experts.
“Our dream is that at his own pace, Charlie will learn to be the elephant he was always meant to be, and soon, he will meet and unite the elephant community in Shambala,” said the EMS Foundation.
Dr Amir Khalil, the veterinarian who led the elephant transfer, told the BBC that despite the residual effects of abuse in captivity, “there is always a chance of recovery”.
As for concerns about how Charlie will cope with the new situation, he said there were good signs of settling down and Charlie was “very happy to hear from other elephants in the distance”, with whom he had started to communicate.
Dr. Khalil said it will take time to prepare the elephant to be independent, but “we must not forget that Charlie was born in the wild.” He spent almost two years with his mother living in freedom”.
He said the elephant is under a program of rehabilitation and feeding, and they plan to release it to a larger area in the coming months.
“We are sure, that step by step you will get used to all these new experiences.”
South Africa has more than 25,000 wild elephants, according to South African parks authority SANparks.
African elephants face threats from poachers, thousands of whom are killed illegally every year for their tusks. They also face loss of habitat due to the expansion of settlements.
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