The Johannesburg Zoo’s three elephants will remain in captivity after the Gauteng High Court dismissed a four-year legal bid to secure their release, but the ruling has done little to settle the debate over their welfare or whether the City should consider relocating them.
Concerns about the elephants’ future have persisted for years. Lammie was born at the zoo in 1979, and the death of her companion, Kinkel, in September 2018, prompted questions about her circumstances. Ramadiba and Mopane arrived in June 2019 after being acquired from Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape.
In 2022, the EMS Foundation, Animal Law Reform South Africa, and Chief Stephen Fritz approached the court seeking to have Lammie, Ramadiba, and Mopane released and relocated to a sanctuary. The application was dismissed on Friday, 16 October, with no costs order against the City of Johannesburg.
The decision marks a legal victory for the city and Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ), which has defended its continued care of the elephants under an existing permit. But the applicants have cautioned against interpreting the outcome as a judicial finding that the animals are thriving in captivity.
In a statement, the EMS Foundation said it was “profoundly disappointed” by the judgment, arguing that the court’s findings concerned the legal basis of the application and the availability of administrative review.
“The court did not resolve the contested expert evidence about their well-being or determine that they are thriving in captivity,” the foundation said.
The case has placed the welfare of the three elephants at the centre of a wider debate about animal sentience, the responsibilities of public institutions and whether a lawful permit is sufficient justification for keeping highly intelligent animals in captivity.
The applicants argued that the elephants’ physical and psychological needs, as well as their quality of life, had to be considered in determining whether their continued confinement was justified. They proposed relocation to a sanctuary in Limpopo, where assessments and rehabilitation could establish whether the animals could adapt to a different environment.
The foundation maintained that the existence of a permit did not settle the broader question of whether the elephants should remain at the zoo.
“A permit authorising captivity cannot, in our view, settle the ethical question of whether that captivity should continue,” it said.
The ruling has not stopped political calls for the city to reconsider relocation. DA Gauteng environment spokesperson Leanne De Jager, an MPL, said the dismissal did not mean the elephants had to remain at the zoo indefinitely.
The DA supports relocating Lammie, Ramadiba, and Mopane to a rehabilitation reserve in Limpopo, arguing that their welfare needs should remain central to decisions about their future.
“The elephants’ need for space, choice, and social bonds is not a luxury,” the DA said in its statement.
The party called on the city and the zoo to commission a transparent, independent assessment of a properly resourced relocation proposal. It said any transition should account for each elephant’s health, safety, social relationships, and lifelong care, with the process and findings made public.
JCPZ has consistently defended its responsibility for the animals, saying their welfare is monitored by experienced caregivers and veterinary professionals.
Welcoming the judgment, JCPZ managing director Thanduxolo Mendrew said the outcome reinforced the institution’s obligation to provide accountable care.
“Our responsibility to Lammie, Ramadiba, and Mopane is a daily commitment. It rests with the people who care for them, the professionals who assess their well-being and a city that must remain accountable for the animals entrusted to it,” Mendrew said.
He added that animal welfare remained central to the zoo’s responsibilities, alongside conservation education and public engagement.
Executive Mayor Dada Morero praised the Johannesburg Zoo’s elephant-care team, veterinary professionals, and support staff, highlighting the institution’s role in animal welfare, conservation, and public education.
“The Johannesburg Zoo plays an important role in connecting residents, particularly children and young people, with wildlife and the broader responsibility of protecting the natural environment,” Morero said.