IOL
THE elephant involved in a fatal incident with a senior carer at the Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development Trust (HERD) has been euthanised, following a failed attempt to relocate her where she showed aggression to other staff.
HERD senior carer, Israel Shambira, was fatally gored by the 19-year-old female elephant named Limpopo earlier this month.
“In the days following the incident, our dedicated carers remained in a state of heightened stress and concern, particularly regarding the safety of being near Limpopo. After extensive consultation among our senior carers, HERD Elephant Manager Tigere Matipedza, and founder of HERD, Adine Roode, with additional guidance from elephant behaviour expert Brett Mitchell, HERD resolved to move Limpopo along with six of her companions to a secure 35ha enclosure at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC), located approximately ten kilometres away. The plan was to house the group at HESC under a temporary holding permit while a suitable long-term rewilding site could be identified. The remaining nine elephants were to remain at HERD,” the organisation said.
19-year-old female elephant, Limpopo. Image: Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (HERD)
The available enclosure allowed for the carers to manage Limpopo and the other elephants under a protected contact type of management.
“This decision was made on ethical and humane grounds to ensure the safety of HERD personnel and the responsible management of the elephants. The selection of elephants to be relocated was based on the best available data and the elephant social bonds.”
On September 19, as the selected elephants started their walk from the HERD boma, within a few hundred metres, the elephants from both groups began vocalising, becoming very excitable.