South Africa's last zoo elephant Charlie freed after 40 years

Charlie the elephant has been in captivity since 1984 when it was captured at two years

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The elephant, named Charlie, was captured in 1984 from Zimbabwe’s Hwange national park when he was two years old.

He was taken to Boswell Wilkie Circus in South Africa and trained to perform tricks. In the early 2000s he was transferred to the country’s only national zoo.

In recent years, animal welfare groups have pushed for the elephant to be freed due to concern for his health.

On Tuesday, EMS Foundation, which advocates for the rights of wildlife, announced that after “a nail-biting four-hour trip to freedom” the elephant had arrived at his new home at the Shambala Private Reserve in Limpopo province.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crrl2q4kykeo

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