After more than 40 years of captivity, Charlie, the last elephant at South Africa’s only national zoo, has been set free and will spend the rest of his life in a vast 10,000-hectare wildlife sanctuary.
Charlie, sometimes spelled Charley, is the last African elephant at the Pretoria National Zoo. He was abducted from his family in the wilds of Zimbabwe when he was only about two years old. The kidnappers later sold him to the Boswell Wilkie Circus in 1984, where Charlie was trained and performed for audiences for many years. In 2001, Charlie was transferred to the National Zoo in Pretoria, where he has lived for the past 23 years.
While some other zoos in South Africa continue to house elephants, such as the Johannesburg Zoo, Charlie was the last elephant at the Pretoria National Zoo. His liberation marks the end of elephant captivity in this facility and opens a new chapter in his life.
Charlie’s return to the wild after 40 years is a significant victory for the wildlife conservation community. This is a clear testament to the relentless efforts of animal protection organizations and the public’s concern for animal rights.
The EMS Fund announced that Charlie recently completed a four-hour journey from the zoo to the Shambala Private Reserve in Limpopo Province. This will be Charlie’s new home, where he can enjoy a life of freedom and protection. The decision to ‘retire’ Charlie was made over a year ago, considering various factors, including his advanced age.
“The decision to retire Charley was made more than a year ago. Among the many factors considered was his advanced age,” said Nontsikelelo Mpulo, the Director of Marketing, Communications, and Commercialization at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). She also noted that many organizations expressed interest in providing a home for Charlie, but ultimately the proposal from the EMS Fund and Shambala Reserve was accepted.
The EMS Fund (the organization that rescued Charlie) regularly updates information about his rescue process and new life. Here, you can find interesting shares and discussions about Charlie’s story.
To help Charlie adapt to his new life, the EMS Fund has partnered with Four Paws Organization and Shambala Reserve to create a special care plan. Charlie has never survived on his own in the wild, so this plan will help him gradually acclimate to wild living. Shambala has also committed to sharing regular health reports with SANBI for at least one year to ensure Charlie receives ongoing care.
Initially, Charlie will live alone to get used to the new environment. However, they hope that in the near future, he will be able to integrate into a herd of elephants at Shambala, becoming part of the community of elephants there.
Before arriving at the zoo, Charlie performed in a circus. This indicates that he could be trained to perform certain tricks and may have undergone quite strict training. Living in the confined space of the zoo for 40 years may have affected Charlie’s behavior and psychology. He may have developed certain habits and could find it difficult to adapt to his new habitat.
Charlie’s story highlights the controversial issues surrounding elephant captivity. According to Elephant Voices, there are currently about 15,000 to 20,000 elephants held in captivity worldwide, many of which live in unsuitable conditions. Experts have pointed out that elephants can roam up to 80 kilometers a day in the wild, which is impossible in the limited space of a zoo. This lack of movement can lead to health problems and hinder elephants from maintaining their complex social structures.
All these factors affect the lifespan of elephants. While wild elephants can live up to 70 years, captive elephants often die younger, around 40 years. Nevertheless, zoos still believe they play a crucial role in elephant conservation and provide scientific knowledge about them. Captive elephants are protected from threats such as habitat loss, poaching, and human conflict.
The rescue and re-release of Charlie signify that experts have thoroughly assessed his health and psychological condition. This means that Charlie may have undergone a general health check and may have been evaluated by animal psychologists.
Robert Hoage, former Director of Public Relations at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC, once stated in BioScience magazine in 2006 that: “I would rather keep elephants in zoos than let them go extinct.” Mr. Hoage also emphasized that: “Zoos are not a great place for elephants, but it’s still better [for them] than dying.”
Charlie’s release and transfer to Shambala Reserve represents a significant step forward in protecting wildlife rights. This is not only a liberation for Charlie after 40 years of captivity but also a testament to the relentless efforts of animal conservation organizations to create better living environments for captive species. It is hoped that Charlie’s story will inspire other zoos and conservation organizations to continue seeking solutions to protect and improve the lives of wild animals around the world.
