[wordup] Elephant sets antelopes free

[Adam Shand]

From: 
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,6119,2-7-1442_1344710,00.html

Elephant sets antelopes free
08/04/2003 14:05  - (SA)

Empangeni - The matriarch of a herd of elephants in South Africa opened 
a gate with her trunk to free antelopes being held at a camp in the east 
of the country, conservationists said on Tuesday.

Lawrence Anthony said that a private game capture company had rounded up 
the antelopes at their camp near Empangeni to relocate them for a 
breeding programme.

The team were settling in for the night when the herd of 11 elephants 
approached, he said.

"The herd circled the enclosure while the capture team watched warily, 
thinking the herd were after lucerne (alfalfa) being used to feed the 
antelope," he said.

The herd's matriarch, named Nana, approached the enclosure gates and 
began tampering with the metal latches holding the gates closed.

She carefully undid all the latches with her trunk, swung the gate open 
and stood back with her herd.

"At this stage the onlookers realised this was not a mission for free 
food, but actually a rescue," Anthony said.

The herd watched the antelope leave the camp before they walked off into 
the night.

Ecologist Brendon Whittington-Jones said: "Elephant are naturally 
inquisitive - but this behaviour is certainly most unusual and cannot be 
explained in scientific terms".