Elephant reintroductions to small fenced reserves in South Africa

Abstract

This article focuses 'on the question of whether the translocation of elephants can be termed successful according to the short-term indicators of natural reproduction, mortality rate and population growth'. It is based on data collected by the EMOA over the past decade, and particularly on information obtained by the 2001 questionnnaire which served as the base for a database tracking these aspects. Between 1979 and 2001 over 800 elephant were reintroduced, largely from Kruger NP, to 46 government and 12 private reserves in South Africa. Most of these areas lie within four regions: Zululand in KwaZulu Natal; Waterberg and Hoedspruit in Limpopo, and in the Eastern Cape. The number of animals introduced at any one time varied widely, from 2 to 227. Over half (56%) adult females that were transferred gave birth within 2 years and so were pregnant at the time of capture. 38 of the reserves (68%) have shown an increase greater than 10% of the initial populations, 16 have shown no change, however most of these have held the reintroduced animals for less than 5 years, and two, which were given only young orphaned animals have shown a loss. When young orphaned animals, which because of technology available in the earlier years were the initial founder populations, were transferred on their own, morality was relatively high (185of 225 animals) but it has decreased substantially since complete family groups have been moved. The authors note this analysis confirms the short-term success of establishing elephant in relatively small fenced reserve. However, the health and welfare of such herds in the long terms is yet to be determined and there have been a number of behavioural problems particualry those linked to disrupted social structure which need to be studied further and taken into account in management. Garai's paper 'History and populations of the re-introduced elephants in samll fenced reserves in South Africa' given at the 6th AfESG meeting in Mokuti Lodge, Namibia, December 4-8, 2003 was based on this article and one in preparation by Slotow and others, focused on population ecology of elephant in small fenced reserves.