Elephant, 44, being relocated to nature reserve from Pretoria zoo

An elephant who was in a circus before spending more than two decades at the Pretoria Zoo is being relocated to a nature reserve in Limpopo for his last years.

Charley, 44, has never lived in the wild.

He will initially be kept by himself at a holding facility in Shambala Private Game Reserve in the Waterberg region while he adjusts to his new living conditions.

It is hoped he will eventually be integrated into Shambala’s resident elephant herd,  but this is likely to take years.

The EMS Foundation, a non-profit and public benefit organisation, and the Pro Elephant Network were in discussions with former minister of forestry, fisheries and environmental affairs Barbara Creecy about Charlie's future since 2021.

The South African National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi), the organisation responsible for managing the zoo, said the African elephant bull is "charming and charismatic".

“The decision was made more than a year ago to retire Charley. Among the factors considered was his advanced age,” said Nontsikelelo Mpulo, director of marketing, communication and commercialisation at Sanbi.

“Potential host facilities responded to a call for expressions of interest about providing a retirement home for Charley. Having interrogated the responses, the proposal from the EMS Foundation and Shambala Private Game Reserve to accommodate Charley in his retirement was approved.”

Shambala has committed to a comprehensive relocation plan, outlining the capture, transport and integration of Charley into its facility, Mpulo said. Shambala will provide regular health reports to Sanbi for at least a year after his arrival, ensuring continued oversight and care.

“Charley’s relocation has started. He is a well-loved resident of the National Zoological Gardens. He arrived after years in a circus environment in July 2001 and has been with the zoo for 23 years,” she said.

“During his tenure at the zoo, Charley has not only entertained and educated thousands of visitors but also contributed to research initiatives that are invaluable to the conservation and management of elephants. Charley also contributed to the preservation of biological materials for future research.”

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