Our Partners & Collaborators
John & Mary Lee Malcolm
Dereck Milburn co-founder of WeWild Africa
Addo’s Historic Elephant Relocation
In a landmark conservation effort, WeWild Africa has taken a monumental step in elephant conservation by orchestrating the first-ever relocation of family groups of elephants from Addo Elephant National Park to three different reserves.
Addo Elephant National Park, renowned for its rich biodiversity and as a sanctuary for over 600 elephants, recently faced challenges due to an elephant overpopulation in certain areas. This imbalance posed risks to the environment, leading to overgrazing and habitat degradation. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, WeWild Africa embarked on a pioneering mission to relocate these elephants to more suitable habitats.
WeWild Africa successfully captured and relocated two family groups of elephants, along with two bulls, from Addo.The elephants found new homes across various reserves, including Shambala Private Game Reserve, Babanango Private Game Reserve, and Bellevue Forest Reserve.
The relocation holds profound historical significance. Bellevue Forest Reserve, originally known as Olifantskop (‘Elephant’s Head’), was once a natural habitat for elephants. This lush area, rich in Albany thicket, is now home to the relocated elephants. The Bellevue Forest Reserve, spanning 2500 hectares, had previously been a temporary refuge for two notable elephants, Hapoor and Bellevue, who often wandered from Addo. Today, it’s likely that their descendants are returning to their ancestral home.
Babanango Game Reserve also played a crucial role in this conservation milestone. The reserve introduced a small breeding herd from Manyoni Private Game Reserve and two bulls from Tembe Elephant Park, with their genetic lineage tracing back to Kruger National Park. The addition of seven elephants from Addo Elephant National Park marks a historic return of these animals to a region of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, where they had been absent for over 150 years.
This monumental endeavor is a collaboration of efforts from SANParks, Babanango Game Reserve, and Bellevue Forest Reserve. This relocation was made possible through funding from the Wildlife Emergency Fund, supported by John and Mary Lee Malcolm, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Over and Above Africa, Conservation Outcomes, Conservation Solutions, DCM Surfaces, and of course our very own Dereck Milburn co-founder of WeWild Africa. Thank you to Andrew Malcolm Films for his contributions in filming this operation.
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Wiki West
- August 23, 2023
