In Zimbabwe, 35 young elephants have been forcibly separated from their herds and confined to small enclosures in preparation for being sold to zoos in China.
The animals, filmed by animal rights activists, appear visibly distressed, with their wide eyes and defensive behavior indicating extreme stress, according to the campaign group Humane Society International (HSI).
The elephants were captured using helicopters to drive them away from their herds, a process that left them disoriented and exhausted.
Once separated, the young elephants are darted and loaded onto trucks while the helicopters continue to hover, preventing their protective mothers from intervening.
“It often takes several attempts to part the young from their mothers, who are incredibly protective,” a source told The Times.
HSI has condemned this practice, calling it “barbaric” and urging the Zimbabwean government to end it.
Footage from Hwange National Park shows the elephants pacing frantically inside pens, displaying signs of stress such as dark streaks down their faces from hormone leakage and defensive postures with their ears splayed.
Zimbabwe has a history of exporting animals, especially during Robert Mugabe’s leadership, often to settle debts.
While there were hopes that this practice would end after Emmerson Mnangagwa took power in 2017, the new footage suggests otherwise.
Audrey Delsink, HSI’s wildlife director for Africa and an elephant biologist, described the capture of baby elephants as inhumane, stating, “Captivity will be a life sentence of suffering.”
She added that these young elephants, torn from their mothers and close-knit family groups, already exhibit signs of stress and fear.
Female elephants typically remain with their families for life, while males only leave at around 12 to 15 years of age. The absence of adult females for guidance exacerbates the young elephants’ distress.
Delsink also criticized Zimbabwe for continuing to exploit its wildlife without proper oversight, noting that South Africa has already banned the capture of wild elephants for captivity, recognizing them as sentient beings. She urged Zimbabwe to follow suit and stop this practice.
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