Charley: South Africa's last zoo elephant freed after 40 years

Charley, a 42-year-old African savanna elephant and the last elephant in South Africa's only national zoo, has been released back into nature.

Animal welfare organisations EMS Foundation and Four Paws confirmed Charley has arrived at his new home at the Shambala Private Reserve in Limpopo after a “nail-biting” 4-hour trip.

“This historic event is a result of years of negotiation with the South African government after scientific evidence that elephants suffer in zoos and that they do not belong in captivity,” EMS said in a statement.

Charley’s zoo's elephant "exhibit" will be permanently closed following his reintegration into the wild, zoo authorities said.

"In the zoo, Charley watched three of his friends die prematurely. He also lost his daughter when she was less than a month old. We hope that his rebirth on his new land and new life will go some way to healing his wounds," the EMS statement added.

Charley has been in captivity for 40 years. He was captured from his family in Hwange, Zimbabwe, when he was two years old and sold to a circus in South Africa to perform tricks.

In 2001, he was moved to the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria, South Africa.