It’s a new dawn for Tswale the elephant as he finally embraces the full freedom of life in the wild.
Tswale, a middle-aged bull who has spent more than two decades in captivity, has been successfully released into ideal Albany thicket habitat of a private Eastern Cape game reserve, the Bellevue Forest Reserve in the Greater Addo region, after a temporary period in a rewilding enclosure.
Tswale was captured as a calf and has lived his entire life in captivity in Mpumalanga province, in the care of his dedicated handler Mr Amos Jivendava. Now, for the first time in his life, he has the freedom to roam the mountains and valleys of Bellevue in the company of wild elephants and numerous other animals.
This landmark conservation effort was made possible through the collaboration of Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Authority, NGO WeWild Africa, and supporting partners including the EMS Foundation and Animaltalk Africa Trust.
Loodt Buchner, Executive Chairman of Bellevue, expressed his gratitude and delight at the long-awaited successful introduction of Tswale into the family-owned reserve as part of their ongoing plans for range and species expansion.
We are thrilled that our vision is taking shape as we strive to develop this incredible natural resource, and provide a protected environment for all endemic wildlife species
, he said.
Dereck Milburn of WeWild Africa, said Tswale spent too long being treated as a commodity. His story proves that elephants raised in captivity for human interaction can successfully adapt and thrive in the wild. We hope this serves as inspiration for other captive elephant owners to do the same.
