Category: ELEPHANTS IN South Africa

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WORLD ELEPHANT DAY 2024 TOWARDS FREEDOM AT LAST FOR ZOO ELEPHANT CHARLIE IN SOUTH AFRICA

Charlie, photographed at a Zoo in South Africa where he is enjoying positive reinforcement and daily enrichment provided to him by a team of elephant experts August 2024 ©PREN

WORLD ELEPHANT DAY 2024

[Johannesburg: 08 August 2024]: The vision of the Pro Elephant Network (PREN)is a future in which all elephants can thrive in freedom and dignity in protected natural habitats as part of naturally functioning and evolving ecosystems. Our mission is to stop the capture and exploitation of elephants by humans and to advocate for the release of captive-held elephants back into natural spaces. Where freedom and reintegration back into wild areas is not possible PREN seeks the best ethical solutions in the most natural surroundings possible. The acceptability and viability of these ethics and conditions are to be evaluated relative to what the individual elephant would be able to experience in the wild.


On the 29th July 2022, the South African Government made a ground breaking decision to pursue options for the retirement of Charley, a bull elephant, from the zoo in Pretoria to a suitable wildlife sanctuary or a similar setting. This progressive decision was based on the best scientific and ethological evidence provided to them by elephant experts and civil society.


Offering all South Africans a fair and equitable opportunity, on the 17th of May 2023, interested parties were requested to publicly submit proposals in response to an advertised call for an Expression of Interest to find a suitable retirement home. The EMS Foundation and Shambala Private Game Reserve submitted an extensive response which was accepted in March 2024.


Following Charlie’s comprehensive expert behavioural and medical assessments it has been noted that due to his advanced age and the physical complications associated with being in captivity for over forty years that the preparation for his relocation, the relocation itself and his rehabilitation to a natural secured environment is not without risk. In March 2024 the government confirmed their acceptance of the generous offer EMS Foundation and Shambala Private Game Reserve made to Charlie.


In preparation for Charlie’s relocation from the zoo, the EMS Foundation and Shambala are partnering with a highly qualified and experienced team of international elephant trainers with oversight from South African and international veterinarians. Charlie is receiving excellent round the clock care during his preparation for his evacuation from the zoo, with ground support from international and South African organisations. South African wildlife translocation specialists will transfer Charlie with his team, to a state-of-the-art rehabilitation boma that has been designed and built to cater for his every need as he is gently transitioned into a more natural, protected environment.

As this project progresses more specialists will be invited to take part in assisting with, and recording his progress.


PREN has, since 2020, played a significant role in the negotiation process for the release of Charley from the zoo, furthermore, distinguished expert members of PREN have attended the zoo and compiled important reports which were submitted to the South African government. This important South African and international project is supported by the elephant experts from the Pro Elephant Network.

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©PREN 2024. All Rights Reserved

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THE PREN SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT POLICY POSITION FOR SUSTAINABLE USE OF ELEPHANT, LION, LEOPARD AND RHINOCEROS TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

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PREN members are of the strong opinion that in keeping with the vision of a secured, restored, and rewilded natural landscapes with thriving populations of Elephant, Lion, Rhino, and Leopard, as indicators for a vibrant, responsible, inclusive, transformed, and sustainable wildlife sector, the policies related to elephants in captivity in South Africa should be closely examined. The aforementioned vision was determined following two years of work carried out by the Ministerial appointed High Level Panel of Experts, Minister Barbara Creecy released the HLP Report on the 2nd of May 2021.

In order to prevent further exploitation of elephants currently held captive in South Africa an entire section should be included in the Draft Policy Position on the Sustainable Use of Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Rhinoceros. Facilities in South Africa in which elephants are held in controlled environments for profit must be persuaded to provide the government with verifiable updated data on each elephant held in captivity including the purpose of the facilities. Facilities advertised as sanctuaries or rehabilitation facilities for elephants must provide details of such.

The United Kingdom remains the top European source market of tourists visiting South Africa. The Animals Low-Welfare Activities Abroad Act of 2023 is a new law which aims to protect animals used in tourism, the legislation which applies in England and Northern Ireland will also allow the British government to bring forward a ban on selling or advertising specific types of wildlife tourism. This is likely to include unethical activities where elephants are forced to take selfies with tourists, where elephants have been subjected to brutal training methods, and where elephants are ridden or drugged for human interaction. In South Africa, facilities offer elephant back riding, feeding, walking, touching, riding, partying, getting married and even sleeping over, with the elephants.

PREN is currently supporting a number of initiatives to release elephants from unsuitable captive facilities in South Africa, including providing scientific evidence, highlighting issues of concern and suggesting best solutions for the release of Charlie the elephant, held at the SANBI National Zoological Garden (NZG) and recently showcasing distressed and stereotypical behaviour; PREN has also supported the relocation of Tswale the elephant, who is used for close human interaction on private property in the Mpumalanga province.

PREN is of the strong opinion that all tourist attractions that keep or breed elephants for commercial purposes and promote direct contact with elephants, including rides, shows or tricks, should be phased out. PREN elephant specialists would be happy to work with the South African authorities to identify the most appropriate solutions for these elephants.

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TSWALE

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ELEPHANT TSWALE – OPEN LETTER OF CONCERN

On Friday 17th of February 2023, Members of the Pro Elephant Network sent an urgent open letter the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency and Members of the Executive Council about an elephant called Tswale who is currently being utilised for human interactions on a piece of land which is being advertised to be auctioned on the 23rd February 2023.

This letter follows two previous communications to the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency on the 30th September and 16th of November 2022 which have not been acknowledged.

Tswale a bull elephant was captured at Selati Private Game Reserve in 2004 aged 9 with a female elephant named Modjadji aged 11, he was translocated to Elephants for Africa an elephant training facility in Limpopo, in 2006 they were translocated to Kwa Madwala Private Game Reserve in Hectorspruit where they were utilised in the elephant back safari business.

The EMS Foundation offered the owners of Modjaji and Tswale the opportunity to retire the elephants in 2019, this offer was rejected.

While the elephants were chained Modjaji and Tswale suffered injuries in 2022 when they were spooked by hunters and or when a herd of wild elephants entered the property upon which they were being held. Modjaji’s was not able to recover from her injury.

This is the third elephant in captivity to have died unnecessarily in 2022 in the Mpumalanga Province.

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