Apollo finds a new home

ELLANIE SMITWINDHOEKThe elephant bull that took up residence in the Swakop River and was relocated to the Zannier Reserve by N/a'an ku sê in a joint operation with the environment ministry on Saturday, has been named Apollo.On Monday, less than 48 hours after being relocated, the elephant was released onto the 7 500 protected hectares of the Zannier Reserve.All associated relocation costs, including the construction of the soft-release boma, were covered by the Shiloh Wildlife Sanctuary in partnership with the N/a'an ku sê Foundation.Marlice van Vuuren, executive director of the N/a'an ku sê Foundation, expressed her gratitude to the Shiloh Wildlife Sanctuary and said the elephant was named Apollo by Shiloh Jolie-Pitt.The elephant, a stray male of unknown origin and estimated to be approximately 25 years old, appeared in the Swakopmund area in December 2019. He displayed some injuries and signs of undernourishment at the time. The ministry monitored the elephant and, under the guidance of veterinarian Janine Sharpe, it was successfully fitted with a GPS collar in January. “Of late we received concerns from the residents of Rossmund in the Swakopmund area that the animal had been causing damage to their palm trees, coming to their swimming pools and moving around residential areas. “There was a fear that it might become a threat to human life in the area. “Therefore, the ministry declared the animal as a problem-causing animal,” said Colgar Sikopo, the ministry's director of parks and wildlife. In expert handsOn Saturday, Sikopo and Dr Sharpe, together with the N/a'an ku sê team, performed the relocation. Wildlife veterinarian Dr Ulf Tubbesing, assisted by N/a'an ku sê veterinarian Dr Maaike de Schepper, was in charge of the relocation process. Darted and sedated from a helicopter, the elephant was lifted by crane onto a 4x4 transport truck. The truck was required to access the elephant's location in the soft riverbed sands. From this location the elephant was transported to a container truck, less than a kilometre away. After loading the elephant onto the container truck, the journey to his new home began.Accompanied by police escort, the elephant was transported from the Swakopmund area to the Zannier Reserve, a six-hour journey by road, with the elephant carefully monitored throughout. Upon arrival at the Zannier Reserve, the elephant was released into a one-hectare soft-release boma, allowing him to grow accustomed to electrified fencing, and on Monday it was released.

Apollo finds a new home

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-30

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Apollo finds a new home

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-30

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