Charlie is a African bull elephant living at the National Zoological Garden of South Africa also known as the Pretoria zoo.

We have learnt much since zoos became fashionable forms of entertainment in late 1899 when this zoo was founded. 

Zoos, like circuses, are becoming redundant all over the world. 

Zoos are incapable of being able to offer elephants the space which they require in order to stay healthy.

Elephants need to walk great distances and forage for the correct diet. Too many elephants have died prematurely in zoos in South Africa and around the world.

The EMS Foundation has offered to relocate, rehabilitate and reintegrate Charlie into a natural wild system. 

The EMS Foundation and elephant experts from around the world are working together to make sure that Charlie has the best possible future. 

Minister Creecy and SANBI announced their intention to retire Charlie on the 28th July 2022.

The EMS Foundation and elephant experts from the Pro Elephant Network have offered Minister Creecy and SANBI a suitable alternative for Charlie based upon scientific and sound medical study and findings. 

A life where his safety and security is assured without having to rely on public funding or donations.  An opportunity for Charlie to live in a wild environment where he can rehabilitate at his own pace undisturbed by humans. This re-integration process and his health and well-being will monitored by the most experienced elephant experts in the world for the remainder of his natural life. 

The EMS Foundation publicly congratulated Minister Creecy and SANBI for this ground breaking and forward thinking decision and look forward to working openly and transparently together for the next part of this process.  

On Monday 6th March 2023 the EMS Foundation and members of the Pro Elephant Network delivered Reports from the expert assessments and recommendations made by eight world renown elephant specialists. 

These experts were commissioned by the EMS Foundation to compile the Reports. The data was recorded over many visits since 2019 to the Pretoria Zoo where Charlie’s physical and mental well being, the enclosure and the zoo’s day to day interactions with Charlie were recorded. 

The EMS Foundation and Shambala Private Game Reserve have formally submitted an EXPRESSION OF INTEREST per request from SANBI.

SANBI representatives have conducted a site visit to Shambala Private Game Reserve. 

We are hopeful that SANBI and Minister Creecy will be guided by the recommendations to offer Charlie the expert rehabilitation process that he requires, a continued protected life in natural surroundings arrived at no cost to SANBI and the South African tax payer.