Update: Joburg Zoo ecstatic after the arrival of their ‘two tons of fun’ [VIDEO]

Update, 13 June, 10.30am 

The Joburg Zoo said they are beyond ecstatic acquiring after two new mates to their society.

A statement released by Joburg City Parks and Zoo said, “The two healthy pachyderms secured a clean bill of health and arrived at the Zoo with a veterinary doctor and their keeper on Thursday, 13 June. The mature male and female will be allowed to get accustomed to their surroundings before they make their public debut in typical ‘Jozi style’. ”

She added that Joburg Zoo could only acquire captive bred elephants and in line with the code of ethics of World Association of Zoos and Aquaria, the Joburg Zoo ensured that the new elephants are not wild elephants.

Lammie turns 40 years old on 12 August, which coincidences with World Elephant Day. The zoo said they went through a thorough and long process to acquire the permits for the two elephants. According to the statement the plans set in place include, “An elephant management plan that is compliant to best management practices set by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), and to ensuring it is compliant with the Code of Ethics and the five Freedoms of Animal Welfare, adopted for ‘good zoos’ by the World Association of Zoos and Aquaria (WAZA).”

The new arrivals will now form part of a Big7 offering at Joburg Zoo which is actively promoting conservation and environmental education.

MMC for Community Development, Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba said, “This is not about gate-takings, but about deepening our understanding of the importance of the ecology found on our planet and to ensure that every child gets to see and hear the trumpeting of the African elephant, in Africa.”

The heated topic of ‘space’ for elephants to roam around was also addressed by Sifumba saying it was not the only critical issue, other issues such as poachers and dwindling areas to forage due to the threat of growing urbanisation and changing weather conditions are a reality.

She added that the caregivers, medical care and nutritional support of the new arrivals are key as they will now call the Joburg Zoo their new home.

Update, 13 June, 8.20am 

After a long journey from the Eastern Cape, two new elephants arrived in the early hours of Thursday morning at the Johannesburg Zoo.

The Rosebank Killarney Gazette editor Ashtyn Mackenzie was there.

Watch:

Initial report, 13 June, 7am  

In the early hours of 13 June, two new elephants arrived at Joburg Zoo.

The sounds of the two new elephants grew closer in the early hours of Thursday morning. Zoo staff and a veterinary team gathered around to witness the ushering in of two gentle giants.

The Rosebank Killarney Gazette’s editor Ashtyn Mackenzie is there.

The new elephants at Joburg Zoo, one male and one female, joined their new companion, Lammie, who will soon celebrate her 40th birthday.

The journey took a whopping 15 hours after the two elephants departed from the Eastern Cape around on 12 June.

Spokesperson for Joburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) Jenny Moodley said, “We have followed the correct procedures and we are fully compliant with the Zoo Elephant Management Plan and in line with best practice standards stipulated by World Association of Zoo and Aquariums (WAZA).”

•  Zoo Elephant Management Plan; This is covered in Section 2.2 of the management plan, Research Needs. 

History of the #FreeLammie saga:

The Rosebank Killarney Gazette’s journalist Sarah Koning followed this story extensively from the celebration of Lammie’s 39th birthday to the death of her companion Kinkel.

Lammie’s previous companion Kinkel died in September 2018, sparking protests worldwide requesting that she be moved to an elephant sanctuary, where she can be free.

Organisations including the National Council of SPCAs, Ban Animal Trading, Humane Society South Africa and a number of other animal rights groups and elephant experts have signed petitions, arranged protests and campaigned for Lammie’s release, but to no avail.

As reported in numerous articles, protesters believe that the captive environment at the zoo is detrimental to Lammie’s well-being, particularly since elephants are social animals. They also cited the living conditions at the zoo as being small and unstimulating.

Johannesburg Zoo has responded to these protests by saying that Lammie was coping well following Kinkel’s death and noted her bonds with her elephant keepers and the fact that she would not survive in the wild, to defend their decision to keep her at the zoo.

Also read: Joburg Zoo mourns the loss of 35-year-old male elephant Kinkel

On 24 January, the Johannesburg Zoo announced that they were assessing the situation regarding Lammie and had begun engaging with relevant authorities to obtain in-principle support to acquire a companion for her. Read more here

Spokesperson for Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo Jenny Moodley had stated that the acquisition of the new elephant would be subject to the zoo finalising their plan to increase the size of the elephant enclosure to include a swimming dam with mud-bathing and sand-wallowing areas.

Must read: Joburg Zoo responds to NSPCA’s legal action