The Limpopo High Court has intervened and given an elephant known as Riff Raff a temporary stay of execution.
Humane Society International, Africa and its partners took the matter to court on Tuesday after landowners in Hoedspruit near Kruger National Park wanted to shoot the collared bull elephant, which they consider a “nuisance”.
“Riff Raff’s habit of trampling fences to gain access to land that has been in his territory for more than half his life, led neighbours to his reserve to apply to have him killed, despite the fact that campaigners from Humane Society International/Africa and Global Supplies had already found him a new home approximately 450km away,” HIS/Africa said in a statement.
The activists were forced to head to court after the Limpopo government turned down a request for Riff Raff to be relocated for a second time.
HSI/Africa said it would now take the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism to court to review its decision.
The animal activists had hoped the matter would be resolved when they relocated the elephant to a new reserve last year, after landowners applied for a permit to have the elephant destroyed.
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“Despite successfully transporting Riff Raff to the new reserve, he turned around and walked the 40-mile (64kms) journey back to his original territory, and back in the line of fire,” HSI/Africa said.