South Africa’s last remaining zoo elephant, Charlie, has been released into the wild after 40 years in captivity. Captured from Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park in 1984, Charlie spent decades performing in the Boswell Wilkie Circus before being moved to South Africa’s only national zoo in the early 2000s. Over recent years, animal welfare groups raised concerns about his health, citing signs of distress common in captive elephants. After years of negotiations and scientific evidence proving the negative impact of zoos on elephants, Charlie was transferred to the Shambala Private Reserve in Limpopo province on Tuesday.

The EMS Foundation and animal welfare group Four Paws, who campaigned for Charlie’s freedom, celebrated the move as a “milestone for better animal welfare in South Africa.” His new home is a 10,000-hectare reserve with a thriving elephant population, where he will be closely monitored as he reintegrates into the wild. The organisations hope Charlie will eventually join the reserve’s elephant community, living freely as intended. South Africa’s wild elephant population exceeds 25,000, though the species remains threatened by poaching and habitat loss.

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Black Myth: Wukong, considered China’s first true AAA game, has broken Steam’s record for concurrent players in a single-player title, surpassing Cyberpunk 2077. The action-adventure game, inspired by the 16th-century novel Journey to the West, peaked at 2,223,179 players, becoming the second-most played game on Steam, including multiplayer titles, overtaking Palworld.

Industry analyst Simon Carless of GameDiscoverCo posted a regional breakdown showing that 88% of the game’s players were from China, with the U.S. following at just 3%. The data was released early Tuesday morning, shortly after the game’s launch, which occurred in the middle of the night in the West.

However, Black Myth: Wukong’s success has been clouded by controversy. Developer Game Science has faced accusations of misogyny, stemming from past recruitment ads and workplace culture. Streamers granted early access were also handed a non-legally-binding document that restricted them from discussing topics like politics, COVID-19, “feminist propaganda,” and the Chinese gaming industry while streaming the game. The restrictions have sparked criticism over censorship concerns, further complicating the game’s milestone achievement.

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