Charlie the elephant free after 43 years in zoo
The last elephant in the country's only national zoo has been released back into nature after 43 years of captivity.
Charlie the Elephant has spent most of his life in the Pretoria Zoo.
He was taken from Zimbabwe when he was two and then sold to the circus.
His release back into the wild this week came after the Elizabeth Margaret Steyn Foundation lodged an application in the High Court in Pretoria in 2022 to have him set free.
The foundation's director, Michele Pickover, says confinement has detrimental effects on elephants.
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"Elephants in zoos don't live as long as elephants in the wild. So, the elephants that they have had in the national zoo died one by one. So often, when one dies, they get replaced with another elephant, but essentially, he was left as the only elephant.
"We then started campaigning for Charlie to be taken out of the zoo because elephants don't belong in zoos. They are very social animals and highly intelligent. They need a lot of space."
Pickover says Charlie's new home is the Shambala Private Reserve in Limpopo.
"He will adapt. I think elephants are complex enough. The got a safe space for him - much bigger than what they had a the zoo. The will make sure that he is comfortable, happy. The intention is to give him a lot more space and ultimately to introduce him to other elephants as there are other elephants on the property already."
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