ONE of the four elephants exported to China has died and conservationists fear for the lives of the remaining three that are also reportedly in bad health.
There was an uproar from conservationists last year when the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority sanctioned the exportation of the animals.
In a statement yesterday, chairperson of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, Johnny Rodrigues, confirmed that one of the four elephants airlifted to the Asian country in November last year had since died.
He said the Asian Animals Foundation had informed them of the death.
"They [Foundation] say that the four elephants arrived at the end of November 2012," said Rodrigues. "Two went to Taiyuan Zoo, one of which has subsequently died. The other two reportedly went to Xinjiang Tianshan Safari Park."
He added: "We are saddened and disgusted that these elephants have been removed from their mothers and the African bush to live alone in a cold unfriendly jail cell in a foreign country."
Rodrigues said the weather in China is not favourable to the animals.
"We believe the temperature at the Xinjiang Tianshan Safari Park is less than 20 degrees Celcius below zero," he said. "It is highly unlikely the elephants will survive in the cold when they have been accustomed to temperatures of between 30 and 40 degrees."
The wildlife authority last year confirmed exporting four elephants to from Hwange National Park to a zoo in China.
Rodrigues insisted there was still another 14 elephants being kept in a boma [a small enclosure] at the Hwange National Park waiting to be exported.
But the parks authority in December refuted the claims saying only five elephants were currently in the boma and were constantly being assessed by an independent veterinary official.
Both Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager Caroline Washaya-Moyo and Environment and Natural Resources Minister Francis Nhema said they were not aware that one of the animals had died.
"I received an inquiry about it, probably from the same person who told you," Nhema said. "I have no clue about the issue as of now but I should be having a report on Monday."
There were concerns that the elephants had been subjected to cruelty as they had to endure a road trip of about 800km from Hwange to Harare before being airlifted.
Animal activists also felt taking the animals to a zoo would be stressful to the elephants as they were not used to such captivity.
Exportation above board: Parks
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority last month argued that the exportation was above board and in line with the country's laws, adding that it had received requests for the purchase of elephants from potential clients from France, Ukraine, United States of America and DRC.
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If you wish to protest this sale and seek to stop the other captive wild elephants flying to China - sign this petition: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/CITES_Revoke_Zimbabwe_Elephant_Permits /
Over 100 elephants a day are currently being killed by illegal poaching for their tusks across sub-saharan Africa and Zimbabwe decides to sell of some of their wild elephants, this is ludicrous. Whilst Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa have loxodonta Africana on the CITES Appendix II, in all other range states in Sub-saharan Africa they are listed as Appendix I. Elephants are sentient, long lived, family oriented animals - their lives are spent in the company of their natal herd. To Capture wild calves and sell them to Zoos anywhere in the World constitutes cruelty of the worst kind. One only has to read the opinion of top elephant scientists to know that captivity is a health threat for elephants. So Zimbabwe wants to "make some money" and sells off elephants to Chinese Zoos in doing so - they are ensuring the calves, if they survive in the awful situation at all - live a life (in the wild up to 60 years, in Zoos reduced to 20-30 years) destined to foot and joint problems due to the lack of space, the enforced standing on concrete floors, they ensure the psychological ill-health that means the elephant will display stereo-typical behaviour such as swaying, head bobbing, pacing on the spot etc. It is 2013 - not the Medieval ages - there is NOT educational value in having captive elephants in Zoos. An elephant is only an elephant in the presence of other elephants in their own habitat. Please, CITES, Zimbabwe - Revoke the permits for the rest of the elephants, rehabilitate them to the wild and discuss at The Conference of Parties in Thailand in March 2013 - the cessation of trade of live animals that are on Appendix one in ANY range state to Zoos unless for a bone-fide conservation programme as decided by an expert panel made up of members from ALL range states.