DA backs court bid to remove elephants from Johannesburg Zoo over welfare concerns

Who the elephants are and what the DA says

The three elephants named in the court papers are Lammie, Mopane and Ramadiba. The source says Lammie was born in captivity, and that Mopane and Ramadiba have spent the last seven years at the Joburg Zoo.

Speaking at a protest at the zoo on Sunday, 7 June, DA Gauteng environment spokesperson Leanne de Jager called for the elephants to be released. She was quoted as saying:

“We are asking for them to be set free. Because all elephants deserve to be free”

The court application and activists’ plan

The DA has supported a Pretoria High Court application brought by the EMS Foundation, Animal Law Reform South Africa and Khoi Chief Stephen Fritz. The application alleges the elephants face several problems in their enclosure, including limited shade, insufficient space, minimal stimulation, inadequate food quality and variety, and safety risks.

The activists seek to move the elephants from the zoo into a private nature reserve. In a social media statement quoted in the source, the group said the plan is

meticulous and evidence-based

and is designed to allow the animals to progressively reintegrate into a natural environment where they can express their physical, emotional and social needs.

The application cites other cases, including the releases of elephants named Charlie and Duma from the Pretoria Zoo, as examples of successful transitions to life in a Limpopo nature reserve.

Joburg Zoo response and next steps

The Joburg Zoo issued a statement saying Lammie, Ramadiba, and Mopane are well taken care of by the zoo and its elephant team. The zoo said the elephants recently underwent comprehensive medical assessments by expert veterinarians from the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital and that all of them have received a clean bill of health. The zoo also warned that relocating elephants from captivity to semi-wild sanctuaries is not always successful.

The Pretoria High Court has reserved judgment on the application.

What to watch for

• Any forthcoming court ruling from the Pretoria High Court.
• Further statements from the EMS Foundation, the DA, and the Joburg Zoo.