A truck transporting four elephants from Addo Elephant National Park to Samara Karoo Reserve in the Eastern Cape overturned on Wednesday afternoon.
Picture: iStock/Lana-Taylor-Photography
According to SANParks, the accident happened along the Olifantskop Pass between Paterson and Cookhouse.
As reported by Daily Maverick, it took place at around 1pm and the Olifantskop Pass was closed for most of the day as authorities worked on a plan to load the elephants onto another vehicle.
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SANParks shared that two recovery vehicles were made available on the scene to assist in recovering the truck.
The elephants were a donation from Addo Elephant National Park to Samara.
According to most recent communication from SANParks, the elephants appear unharmed.
‘There is a SANParks Veterinarian on-site, monitoring the elephants, who all appear to be unharmed. There were no injuries incurred in the accident,’ said SANParks.
At around 22:28 on Wednesday, the elephants were reported to be en route to their destination. The Grahamstown SPCA accompanied the transport to ensure the animals’ safety and welfare. This is as per the NSPCA, which has since raised concerns about elephants being donated to a private game reserve.
The organization further highlighted welfare concerns surrounding the elephants being trapped in a truck in the heat of the day.
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