SPCA to monitor Tuli jumbos in new home

By Melanie-Ann Feris - January 19 2000 at 01:07AM

Five young elephants from the group captured in the Tuli Block in Botswana by game dealer Riccardo Ghiazza two years ago have been transported to the property of the man who is to be charged with cruelty to them.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has decided to prosecute Craig Saunders for his involvement in the alleged ill-treatment of the elephants at Ghiazza's property, African Game Services, outside Brits, in 1998 and last year.

However, D Swart, deputy director: Conservation for the North West Department of Conservation, said on Tuesday they were not aware of the charges. Swart said it had been decided there were not enough grounds to keep the elephants from Saunders, and the department had therefore issued the permits.

The animals were transported from Sandhurst Safari, in the North West, to Saunders' property earlier this week. Swart said the animals would be part of Saunders' education centre.

Swart said that in terms of the temporary permits issued to Saunders, the department had the power to immediately confiscate the elephants if Saunders was found to be in contravention of permit stipulations.

The National Council of the SPCA's wildlife co-ordinator, Rozanne Savory, said they were working with Saunders and had 24-hour access to his property.

Savory said the animals would be trained using Zimbabwean methods. "This means there will be no cruelty involved," she added.

The NCSPCA released the group of elephants, of which they had custody, from Ghiazza's property early last year and they were transported to Sandhurst. However, they remained Ghiazza's property.

"We believe they may have gone to China, because there was a buyer for them. But if they stay in South Africa we can keep an eye on them. Here they are protected," she said.

Saunders was unavailable for comment yesterday.

It seems that the (conservation) right hand yet again doesn't have a clue what the left hand is doing. It is truly incomprehensible   that a deputy director of CONSERVATION can be unaware of the issues around a front line case like this one. Makes one wonder where the real conservation people in this country are........