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After decades of loneliness, the African bull known for over 40 years as Charley deserves to spend the remainder of his life in a species-appropriate environment fit for an elephant.

This is also where his name change comes in for with a new life and a new future, a new name for beloved elephant Charley is only befitting of the epic journey the more than 5-ton mammal has been on. 

The elephant experts at his new home recently renamed him Duma. In the local language of Zulu, Duma is loosely translated as meaning ‘to dominate, to rumble and to be famous’. What a suitable, respectful and fitting African name for this African giant!

But to really appreciate his future, we need to take a few steps back…the tale of elephant Charley (or rather Duma) has it all:

• A beloved but lonely wild animal
• Organisations' taking hands and working together
• The dream of a great retirement plan
• A challenging relocation
• And finally, a happy ending in the best possible surroundings

Duma’s story begins more than 40 years ago when in 1982, he was born as a wild calf in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. It was here that he was captured in the wild as a young elephant. First sold to a travelling circus in South Africa, he had to perform for 16 years in the Boswell Circus. Later in 2001 he was transferred to a zoo in Pretoria, South Africa, where he lived in captivity for over 20 years. During his time at the zoo, Duma witnessed the death of four elephant companions and endured years of loneliness for the sake of human entertainment.

For many years, local animal welfare organisations and individuals tried to help the elephant who was stuck in the zoo – alone in a barren enclosure. He showed signs of distress, including repetitive head-swaying – a behaviour very common in captive animals.

Global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS, the Elizabeth Margaret Steyn (EMS) Foundation and Shambala Private Reserve struck up a partnership with one goal in mind – to ensure the best retirement plan for the famous African elephant. The primary objective was to provide Duma with a safe process of retirement from the zoo and facilitate his behavioural and physical rehabilitation in a suitable natural environment for the rest of his life – and the 10,000-hectare Shambala Private Reserve in Limpopo provided exactly this.

Under the lead of Dr Amir Khalil from FOUR PAWS, a team of veterinarians and wildlife experts worked on a comprehensive relocation plan to ensure an optimal transition for Duma’s retirement. Experts from the various organisations worked passionately to ensure he would be ready to enter his crate and be transported to Shambala to be reintegrated into a natural environment suitable for a male bull elephant. Located just three hours from the zoo, the reserve in the Limpopo Province of South Africa has a proven track record of successfully reintegrating captive elephants into the wild. Since 2015, they have rehabilitated and released elephants that were previously used for elephant-back safaris. Today, the reserve is home to a small but thriving population of elephants.

FOUR PAWS experts worked on site preparing Duma for his relocation after being officially invited by the EMS Foundation to provide expert medical opinion on his health and well- being. FOUR PAWS also ensured the professional, safe and humane relocation of Duma – from overseeing the crate design and training prior to the move, to being committed to his rehabilitation and adaptation into the new environment.

Finally in August 2024, the big day came, and the beloved tusker was relocated to Shambala Private Reserve where initially Duma stayed in his safe boma area to get used to his new surroundings. In September 2024, after the first adaption and rehabilitation phase, he was released from here into a one hectare enclosure in the savanna to start foraging for food by himself. Thanks to a special feeding and trust-building program, the African elephant was step by step prepared for his life in the wild by an expert FOUR PAWS team as well as his future caretakers at Shambala. To prepare the 42-year-old for an independent life in the wild, he received special care and a rich daily diet of about 130 kg of seasonal vegetables and fruits, as well as hey and branches to help him gain weight and strength. Duma also had to learn to come back to his safe space in the enclosure, which will be important for future veterinary examinations and his on-going care, whilst ensuring he leads a life as independent and wild as possible.

Sadly, Duma’s captivity has left deep wounds that are luckily slowly healing. This is just another stark reminder that animals do not belong in captivity and definitely not in entertainment. Charley’s nails for example had deep cracks from inappropriate keeping and needed special attention – this is quite common in elephants in confinement as foot care is often neglected. He was also not familiar with mud baths and a pool, elements which are absolute essentials for these animals. An elephant’s skin relies on mud baths, water and dust to stay protected and to regulate their temperature. Spraying mud or water behind their ears, helps cool them down; mud and dust protects them from the sun and mosquitos; as well as helping with the shedding of dead skin cells and providing a protective layer against the elements.

Possible next steps for Duma include being released into the full 10,000-hectare reserve, where he can decide to join one of the two elephant groups or to live alone. After living under the inappropriate and solitary conditions he did as an exhibit at South Africa’s only national zoo, getting to choose his own future a reality that was unthinkable for Duma a mere few months ago.

The FOUR PAWS team is overjoyed that he will be able to live independently in the reserve. He might choose to live separately from the others – like bulls usually do in the wild – but this is truly what is so great – this new life offers elephant Duma the opportunities to choose and to live a species-appropriate life fit for an elephant.

FOUR PAWS continues to support the rehabilitation efforts within the Shambala Reserve, promoting Charley’s natural behaviours and social bonds.