Durban - Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife says it will explore all possible solutions to resolve the issues in Pongola Nature Reserve arising from about 69 elephants roaming the area.
This follows concerns about elephant poaching in the area.
DA provincial leader Francois Rodgers and DA KZN spokesperson on economic development, tourism and environmental affairs Heinz De Boer visited the area last week.
This comes after a shooting incident at Jozini Dam, where poachers shooting at elephants opened fire on tourists on the dam last month.
De Boer said the DA condemned elephant poaching in the area, including at the dam. He added that, following the attack on the tourists, the DA had enlisted the help of many high-ranking provincial and national conservation and police officials.
“It is believed a heavily armed group of men fired shots at the boat before opening fire on an already decimated herd of elephants.”
Rodgers said the situation needed to be addressed.
“Ultimately, if it is not addressed, it will have an impact on the economy, tourism, and about 1 000 jobs, which I am told is the employment in this area. I engaged with stakeholders and Ezemvelo. There was a further engagement with Ezemvelo, and I am told there is a way forward with regard to the elephants in the area.”
Ezemvelo said it was aware of only six poaching incidents in the reserve in the past six months.
“All six elephants were killed within the past six months. Ezemvelo shall explore all possible solutions to resolve the issue of the estimated 69 elephants roaming Ezemvelo’s Pongola Nature Reserve. The ongoing human-wildlife conflict in that area has contributed to the rise of elephant poaching incidents.
“The elephants first started roaming out of Pongola Game Reserve East to Pongola Nature Reserve around 2015, when the Pongola River dried up. Pongola Game Reserve East is a private game reserve authorised in 1997 to introduce elephants by the then-Natal Parks Board.”
Ezemvelo added they were planning a way forward to assist all parties.
“Following recent discussions with several NGOs, including Conservation Solutions and the Aspinall Foundation, Ezemvelo will engage the Pongola Game Reserve East, which owns these elephants, to translocate them back to their property or take them to any national and international protected areas as soon as protected areas with adequate carrying capacity for elephants have been identified. The first batch will probably be translocated in March or April should the new protected areas be secured. It may take more than a year to translocate them outside of the country if no suitable space is available within the country.”
Ezemvelo’s acting CEO, Siphesihle Mkhize, said elephants were a big problem, not only in KZN.
“We no longer have sufficient land to keep them. The sooner the land issue for elephants is addressed, the better, as they are also animals that cause many human-wildlife conflicts. I also appeal to protected areas with extra space for elephants to contact us. We will donate the elephants. We have already secured funding from our partners who have already committed to pay for the translocation to any protected area inside or outside of South Africa.”
Dr Audrey Delsink, the wildlife director of Humane Society International – Africa, said the situation was critical owing to the lawlessness prevailing for both humans and elephants alike after the recent horrific tourist attack and ongoing elephant poaching.
“The Pongola Game Reserve East elephants have, through natural dispersion, made Pongola Nature Reserve, Pongola Game Reserve East and a private section of a reserve in Eswatini their home.
“There is certainly a need to protect the elephants and mitigate against further human-elephant conflict, and relocation is one of the traditional tools recommended for repopulating previously extirpated areas or new reserves.”