Capturing a wild elephant for Berlin Zoo

Filmed in the 1930s, this historical footage shows the capture of a wild African elephant in South Africa, presumably for the Berlin Zoo. The Berlin Zoological Garden (German: Zoologischer Garten Berlin) is the oldest and best known zoo in Germany. It opened its gates in 1844. Until the 1970s, many zoo animals were captured in the wild and transported from distant regions after long journeys and much stress, as shown in the video. Unfortunately, efforts to breed many species in captivity often failed, or the animals died prematurely. As a result, capturing animals from the wild and trading them remained necessary, further reducing wild populations of some species and putting them at risk of extinction. To protect endangered species, the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) treaty came into force on 1 July 1975. This international agreement regulates the trade of protected species. The treaty - which applies in 185 countries - prohibits