TRACES OF A SPECIAL VISITOR
TRACES OF A SPECIAL VISITOR: The so-called Swakop or Christmas elephant, who surprised coastal residents and holidaymakers with his visit from the interior on Christmas Eve 2019 (pictured), is doing well.
Dr Rudie van Vuuren of the N/a’an ku sê Foundation confirmed to this publication last week that the wandering bull, who was later relocated to the Zannier Wildlife Reserve east of Windhoek, is thriving. The Christmas visitor, named Apollo, has since been joined by two younger floppy-eared companions, Ace and Astro, to keep him company.
At the time, there were fears that the bull, driven by wanderlust, would cause havoc along the coast, be declared a problem animal, and be put down. He was lured back inland by the environment ministry using water and feed.
The big-footed elephant stayed for a while in the Omaruru River and was fitted with a satellite collar by a ministry veterinarian in mid-January 2020 to monitor his movements. Remarkably, the bull made a U-turn a month later and walked all the way back to the coast, where he was spotted in the Swakop River near the Rössmund Golf Estate.
In a major relocation operation in April 2020, the environment ministry and N/a’an ku sê sedated the elephant near the golf estate and safely released him on the 7 500-hectare Zannier reserve.
The photos were shared by Gert Heussen, who captured Apollo north of Wlotzkasbaken on 25 December 2019, where the big-footed giant had taken a stroll north of Swakopmund. “His tracks can still be seen today in an old salt pan he walked through,” Heussen said.
PHOTOS: GERT HEUSSEN
Dr Rudie van Vuuren of the N/a’an ku sê Foundation confirmed to this publication last week that the wandering bull, who was later relocated to the Zannier Wildlife Reserve east of Windhoek, is thriving. The Christmas visitor, named Apollo, has since been joined by two younger floppy-eared companions, Ace and Astro, to keep him company.
At the time, there were fears that the bull, driven by wanderlust, would cause havoc along the coast, be declared a problem animal, and be put down. He was lured back inland by the environment ministry using water and feed.
The big-footed elephant stayed for a while in the Omaruru River and was fitted with a satellite collar by a ministry veterinarian in mid-January 2020 to monitor his movements. Remarkably, the bull made a U-turn a month later and walked all the way back to the coast, where he was spotted in the Swakop River near the Rössmund Golf Estate.
In a major relocation operation in April 2020, the environment ministry and N/a’an ku sê sedated the elephant near the golf estate and safely released him on the 7 500-hectare Zannier reserve.
The photos were shared by Gert Heussen, who captured Apollo north of Wlotzkasbaken on 25 December 2019, where the big-footed giant had taken a stroll north of Swakopmund. “His tracks can still be seen today in an old salt pan he walked through,” Heussen said.
PHOTOS: GERT HEUSSEN
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