EZEMVELO KZN Wildlife has issued an urgent appeal to national and international conservation bodies for help in relocating elephants from overcrowded reserves, amid reports warning that failure to act could soon leave culling as the only option.
Ezemvelo spokesperson Musa Mntambo said several key protected areas, including Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park, Tembe Elephant Park, Ithala Game Reserve and uMkhuze Game Reserve, are exceeding their carrying capacities. This is despite the department’s long-term contraception programme and attempts at protected area expansion.
“This overpopulation is ecologically unsustainable and poses a significant threat to biodiversity conservation within the reserves and ultimately threatens the well-being of the elephants themselves,” said Mntambo.
He said the urgency of the situation has been heightened by recent speculation around possible culling. “In reality, although the Board has agreed that the animals need to be removed, the organisation has not yet made any final decisions on how and when this will happen,” Mntambo said.
Translocation is being considered if suitable reserves are found.
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“Translocation is only considered if suitable reserves are found, and no decision has been made on culling, although it may become necessary in the near future if the protected area ecosystems are to be protected and neighbouring communities.”
Ezemvelo pointed to the crisis at Madikwe Game Reserve as a stark warning of what could unfold if urgent action is not taken. “It is precisely to prevent this kind of suffering that Ezemvelo is compelled to act,” Mntambo said, referring to reports of more than 70 elephants dying from starvation due to overpopulation.
Beyond environmental damage, the organisation warned that rising elephant numbers are also increasing the risk of human-wildlife conflict, particularly in communities bordering reserves.
“Ezemvelo would be failing in its mandate if it allowed the current overpopulation crisis to escalate to a point where important protected area values… are lost,” Mntambo said.
An urgent call has been made to relocate elephants from overcrowded reserves to prevent ecological damage.
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He added that the organisation is calling on NGOs and conservation partners to urgently provide “viable and ethical solutions for elephant range expansion and translocation to delay the need for culling in the near future”.
Should these efforts fail, Mntambo warned that more drastic measures may be unavoidable. “Should non-lethal range expansion or translocation solutions prove impractical, Ezemvelo will be compelled to resort to lethal options to address overpopulation to protect the broader ecosystem.”
Ezemvelo has urged any organisations able to assist to come forward immediately, warning that time is running out to prevent a deeper conservation crisis. For information or to assist contact Vuyiswa Radebe on vuyiswa.radebe@kznwildlife.com.
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