Massive relocation project sees thirty elephants sent across the border

THE largest single translocation of its kind recently took place within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park when 30 elephants were relocated from uMkhuze Game Reserve.

iSimangaliso donated the animals to Zinave National Park, located within the Mozambique section of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, to help in the rewilding of the park’s 408 000ha protected area.

Zinave is co-managed by the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) and Mozambique’s National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC).

The translocation was conducted over two days in June by Conservation Solutions, specialists in elephant relocation.

Left largely devoid of grazers since the Mozambican civil war, Zinave is now once again under protection and more than 1 200 animals have over the last two years been reintroduced by PPF.

‘Zinave offers prime elephant habitat, more than sufficient water resources, and only a handful of local elephants – positioning the uMkhuze elephants, along with 24 donated by the Ithala Game Reserve, to proliferate as the progenitors of a thriving new elephant population,’ said Bernard van Lente, PPF’s Project Manager in Zinave.

‘The elephants were initially released into an electrically fenced 18 600ha sanctuary.

‘This will allow them to settle into their new environment and be introduced to the family herd that has been resident in the sanctuary for the past year.

‘The park’s protection capabilities were also recently reinforced with 26 new rangers, ranger base camps, patrol equipment and digital communication systems – all as part of advanced and integrated anti-poaching strategies.’

When initial discussions of repopulating Zinave with elephants began between Conservation Solutions and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, uMkhuze and Ithala were identified as ideal stock donors owing to their significant elephant numbers.

With over 200 elephants shared between the Eastern and Western Shores of Lake St Lucia, and uMkhuze Game Reserve, and taking into account the enormous terrain they require, iSimangaliso recently undertook an elephant contraception programme.

‘It is important to remember that our protected areas are here for the bigger picture which is to conserve overall biodiversity,’ said iSimangaliso Park Operations Director, Sizo Sibiya.

‘It is a dynamic process within a finite fenced park to achieve an ideal balance.

‘So we are careful that we don’t have a situation where one species flourishes to the possible detriment of others.

‘Our elephant population has done tremendously well and we are pleased that we have reached a point where we are able to offer animals to other protected areas, just as we have done in the past with our rhino.

‘This is a win-win scenario for conservation in Africa.’

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