Charley shapes for big move from Capital City zoo to wilder pastures
After spending most of his life in captivity, a circus elephant who was relocated to a zoo and spent his days alone since his companion elephant died, can look forward to 25ha of woodland in Limpopo.
Charley, the elephant at the Pretoria Zoo is currently being made accustomed to the crate that he will be travelling in.
He will soon be relocated to his own 25ha boma at the Shambala Private Game Reserve near Vaalwater in Limpopo, according to a notice published last week by the National Zoological Gardens.
Charley was declared fit to travel after a medical and mental well-being check-up conducted in 2023.
Now it is over to Charley, according to the experts, to show when he is comfortable to get into the crate that he will be travelling into the Shambala Private Game Reserve.
Here he will be in the capable hands of among others, a team consisting of general manager Louis Prigge, wildlife and conservation manager Sean Jones as well as elephant handlers Shadrach Ndlovu and Colin Dube.
Jones is excited about welcoming Charley who has gained celeb status as one of the loneliest elephants in South Africa.
“The reserve has more or less the same climate, it is not too far to move him by crate on a truck and he will at first have his own rehabilitation boma where elephant experts will be monitoring how he is adapting to his new life,” said Jones.
The almost 45-year-old elephant has had a stint of more than two decades at the zoo and lost three companions. His last companion, Landa, died in 2020.
Charley was captured in Hwange, Zimbabwe over 40 years ago and trained in the Boswell Wilke Circus.
When the circus closed down, he was transferred to the Natal Lion Park, and then, in 2001, to the Pretoria Zoo.
The government announced their desire to retire Charley in 2022.
At the invitation of the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy, specialist veterinarians from Four Paws and elephant experts from the Pro Elephant Network carried out health and mental well-being checks on Charley.
In 2023 the government advertised for interested parties to establish the best retirement option for him.
The EMS Foundation and Shambala Private Game Reserve submitted an expression of interest proposal that was accepted this year.
“Charley will hopefully eventually be integrated into Shambala’s resident herd,” said Jones.
Initially, Charley will be kept by himself while he adjusts to his new living conditions. He will have to learn how to forage for himself in the woodland landscape and navigate the details of his new life like walking on a gradient and discovering natural water sources.
Megan Carr from the EMS Foundation said that negotiations with Minister Creecy and the government from 2020 led to an agreement being finalised this year.
The EMS (Elizabeth Margaret Steyn) Foundation and Shambala offered to fund his move to the reserve and to care for him for the rest of his natural life.
The foundation has advocated for his release since Landa died in 2020.
Carr confirmed that Charley “is being encouraged to familiarise himself with the crate that he will be travelling in”.
An enrichment programme involves offering Charley an assortment of delicious elephant snacks (bananas, pumpkin and melon) and maintaining a peaceful atmosphere near the crate. This is done so that he can learn to trust the team of elephant experts who will be helping him during his relocation.
The experts are gently encouraging him to participate.
They confirmed that it is Charley’s choice whether or not he wants to enter or exit the crate.
The foundation has partnered with Four Paws International which has been involved with complicated zoo elephant relocations.
Four Paws vet, Dr Marina Ivanova said elephants need lots of encouragement during this period to ensure a positive experience.
Ivanova was previously involved with the relocation of the world’s so-called loneliest elephant, Kavaan, from the Cambodia Zoo to a sanctuary.
Besides these elephant experts, a comprehensive veterinarian team is made up of the Four Paws team overseen by Dr Peter Rogers. Charley is also fortunate enough to have a team of elephant relocation specialists such as Conservation Solutions and We Wild Africa who will be involved with the relocation when he is ready.
Dr Ivanova said the initial medical checks on Charley by international experts such as animal behaviourists in 2023 have shown that he is fit to be moved.
He does suffer from a bout of colic now and again as many elephants in captivity do.
“It is over to Charley and what he wants to do at his pace. He deserves to spend his golden years in a friendly environment suited to him. It is an opportunity for him to rediscover so many things about himself and his environment,” said Ivanova.
It is remarkable to her that a decision was taken by the authorities to retire Charley.
Matthias Otto, the elephant expert from Four Paws, said Charley is receptive to crate conditioning.
“He is comfortable with us, and he is walking into it at his own pace and time. Elephant time, it’s a thing,” said Otto.
Click here to see Charley in his enclosure at the Pretoria Zoo:
Click here to see Charley being made accustomed to the crate that he will be travelling into his new home:
@rekordpretoria Charley being made accustomed to the crate that he will be travelling into his new home. RekordNewspaper
Click here to see Charley enjoying some running water in his enclosure at the Pretoria Zoo:
Click here to see Kavaan after he has been relocated from a zoo in Cambodia:
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