England-born elephants destined for new home in Kenya

AspinallFoundation.org

An animal conservation charity is going to reintroduce a herd of elephants from England into the Kenyan wild.

The Aspinall Foundation is embarking on what they say is a world first.

"This is the first time that a herd of elephants has ever been rewilded anywhere in the world," according to the Foundation. "No elephant rewilding project of this scale has ever been attempted before."

The herd of 13 elephants - weighing 25 tonnes - will be flown from Howletts Wild Animal Park near Canterbury to a site in southern Kenya, a journey of more than 7,000 km.

The Aspinall Foundation will work with The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Kenya Wildlife Service to rewild an entire herd including three calves and it's hoped to continue breeding in their new home.

Two different sites in the south of Kenya, are currently under consideration, both of which provide the perfect natural conditions for the elephants.

More from Quirky

  • NASA spacecraft attempts closest-ever approach to the sun

    NASA's Parker Solar Probe was expected to make history on Tuesday by flying into the sun's outer atmosphere called the corona on a mission to help scientists learn more about Earth's closest star.

  • China half marathon offers cow, fish, chickens as prizes

    A half marathon in China's northeast province of Jilin announced an unusual selection of prizes, with first over the line winning a cow and other runners getting wild fish, geese or roosters, in a bid to attract more participants and promote local produce.

  • T. Rex is at center of debate over dinosaur intelligence

    Surmising even the physical appearance of a dinosaur - or any extinct animal - based on its fossils is a tricky proposition, with so many uncertainties involved. Assessing a dinosaur's intelligence, considering the innumerable factors contributing to that trait, is exponentially more difficult.

  • Horses run amok in central London

    A number of horses are running amok in London and at least one person has been injured, with the army called in to help locate the animals, authorities in the British capital said on Wednesday.

  • Kishida delights Washington with promise of 250 cherry trees as gift

    Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida drew cheers and applause from US lawmakers on Thursday when he announced a plan to donate 250 cherry trees to the US capital to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US independence.