Protesters demand the freedom

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Protesters demand the freedom of Lammie the elephant at Joburg Zoo

Animal conservationists, experts, residents of Johannesburg as well as others are calling for the release of Lammie the elephant from Johannesburg Zoo to a wildlife sanctuary.

Protesters demand the freedom

Twitter/rosebankkillarneygazette/AshtynMackenzie

After the death of her partner, Kinkel, elephant experts and protesters are calling for the release of Lammie the elephant from Johannesburg Zoo to a wildlife sanctuary.

According to IOL, the question of Lammie’s future without her companion, who died of unconfirmed causes, has recently led to a heated debate between zookeepers and elephant welfare experts.

Lammie has reportedly endured a lot of tragedy during her 39 years at Joburg Zoo: Both her parents, Jumbo and Dolly, who were taken from the wild in the seventies, died at the zoo within a year of each other and her brother, also born at the zoo, died shortly after being sold to a French zoo.

Johannesburg Zoo has reportedly confirmed that they plan to acquire another cow to keep Lammie company, but animal welfare and elephant experts have objected, saying that the lone elephant should be released into a wild reserve where she can roam free and bond with a herd.

The EMS Foundation has offered to find a suitable sanctuary for Lammie and to cover all the costs of her relocation.

The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) says it is opposed to keeping elephants in captivity citing their 2015 report which stated that nearly all captive elephants suffer welfare deficiencies.

Martie Rossouw, manager of NSPCA’s Wildlife Protection Unit said the NSPCA strongly discourage bringing another elephant into captivity.

“Most captive elephants that have been in unnatural circumstances behave unpredictably and do not necessarily behave like a wild elephant would.”

The zoo will reportedly monitor Lammie’s behavior, prove enrichment items for her and if she is coping with the situation after their interventions, another cow will be introduced.

But, it seems visitors to the Zoo report that no additional enrichment items have yet been provided two weeks after Kinkel’s death.

The only enrichment items that can be seen are a very large tyre as well as a few smaller tyres suspended from a pole.

Elephant expert, Audrey Delsink, executive director of Africa’s Humane Society International said it is not unreasonable to state that Lammie is likely suffering significant grief and is traumatised given her history and the loss of her partner.

“In order for Lammie to thrive emotionally and physically, she needs to be placed in a semi-wild facility that does not support human-elephant interactions and where she can express natural behaviors.  The zoo should be making immediate plans to unite Lammie with other female elephants of differing ages to mimic a herd and the critical “family” structure that is essential to an elephant’s social well-being and learning experience.”

A final decision on Lammie’s future will be taken by the Johannesburg City Council after reviewing recommendations from welfare organizations as well as the zoo.