How elephant translocation is reviving biodiversity in Addo Elephant National Park

IOL News

20-05-2025

One of the 42 elephants at the Aldo Elephants National Park being translocated to its new environment.
Image: Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa
A significant conservation effort has been under way at the Addo Elephant National Park near Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, where 42 elephants were successfully translocated to the newly secured Kabouga section.
This move, which is part of the South African National Parks (SANParks) initiative, aims to expand the elephants' range and restore ecological balance in one of the country's most iconic conservation areas.
According to the park's Conservation Manager Anban Padayakee, the translocation, conducted between May 12 and 15, was meticulously planned and executed by a team of conservationists, wildlife veterinarians, and logistics specialists.
Padayakee said each step was done with attention to animal welfare and ecological integrity.
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'The reality of our achievement has not yet set in… it's still such an unbelievable achievement. We were so careful that we had experts from all different fields to make sure the mission was successful.
'The experience was not limited to this operation; we can apply it in the future," Padayakee said.
He said the team moved the animals that consisted of five family groups, with the oldest female elephant aged 52 and the youngest, a male, aged between three to four months old and named after the area they were translocated to.
'That gives you the idea of how complicated it was because we needed to keep the animals stress-free, and the veterinarians did exactly that,' Padayakee said.
Park Manager, Roland Januarie, emphasised the importance of this effort saying he had only joined the park a week ago and had found the process of translocating these animals in the middle as it had started last year.
"Addo has a proud record of elephant conservation and maintains a healthy and secure population of one of Africa's most iconic animal species,' Januarie said.
Elephants are widely recognised as ecosystem engineers, playing a crucial role in shaping their environments and supporting biodiversity.
By expanding their range and establishing new habitats, the translocation stands to contribute to long-term biodiversity health and the reactivation of natural ecosystem functions across the region.
The Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa, an initiative of Global Humane Society, provided critical support for the project.
Aldo Elephants Another of the Aldo Elephants National Park animal enjoying its new habitat after translocating.
Image: The Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa
Regional Director for Africa, Taryn Gillson, the organisation was proud to support this critical restoration project and help ensure these elephants have the space they need to thrive.
'This is an extraordinary milestone for conservation in Africa. This not only marks the expansion of the elephants' range but also the restoration of ecological processes in a landscape where elephants have been absent for generations,' Gillson said.
The translocation is part of a broader conservation vision to repair degraded ecosystems through species-led restoration.
By reintroducing elephants to the Kabouga section, SANParks aims to restore ecological balance and promote biodiversity.
The newly relocated elephants will be carefully monitored as they settle into their new environment, marking a hopeful step forward for conservation efforts in the Eastern Cape.
'As a leading conservation authority, SANParks is committed to inclusive conservation and advancing policies that support sustainable development and biodiversity conservation,' said Januarie
SANParks manages 21 national parks, including three world heritage sites and 10 marine protected areas covering over four million hectares on land and almost 370,000 hectares at sea.
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