Rescued ellies return to wild
2009-10-30 12:18
Cape Town - Nine elephants rescued earlier this year from a ranch in Zimbabwe where they were being "trained" for use in the safari industry, are to be moved to a national park in that country, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said on Friday.
"The elephants were confiscated in April... after an inspection by the Zimbabwe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals found cruel and torturous methods were being used to 'tame and train' them for the elephant-back safari industry," it said in a statement.
The animals - there were originally ten, but one had died of malnutrition and abuse - had been subjected to the most appalling cruelty "in the name of servicing an indefensible form of safari industry".
An IFAW team would now transport the nine elephants to safety.
"The elephants will be transported from a privately owned ranch in the West Nicholson area, south of Bulawayo, where the elephants were being 'trained', to Hwange National Park, some 700km further east."
IFAW said the Zimbabwe NSPCA had discovered several abuses during their inspection earlier this year. These included, among others, severe injuries to the animals' legs, caused by chains, and restricted access to both food and water.
"The translocation of the elephants will begin on Monday [November 2] and has been mandated by the government of Zimbabwe.
"The elephants will be darted and transported in a single group to Hwange National Park overnight, before being released into a large rehabilitation boma for monitoring before eventually being released into the park," it said.
- SAPA