The government is drafting a blueprint to address elephant overpopulation, amid accusations from animal rights groups that the issue has been poorly managed.
The overpopulation of elephants is frowned on for many reasons as the big animals can cause multiple problems. Not only can tree cover be destroyed, but the whole ecosystem can be changed, with knock-on effects for other species, from beetles to birds.
The Madikwe and Pilanesberg game reserves in the North West province have become the face of elephant overpopulation in SA, with authorities in some instances resorting to culling the animals.
Deputy minister of forestry, fisheries & the environment Narend Singh said the department had also identified other hotspots in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
He said the department was working on a plan to establish a “coherent national approach that balances biodiversity protection, human wellbeing and sustainable livelihoods, while ensuring site-specific interventions in hotspot areas”.
The department is expected to shed more light on the action plan in November.
Polarising
Meanwhile, at Madikwe and Pilanesberg, popular with domestic and international tourists, the elephant overpopulation challenge is growing, with authorities’ response to the problem a polarising matter.
According to data from the North West Parks and Tourism Board, Madikwe has an elephant population of just over 1,600, three times more than an optimal population of 500. Madikwe covers about 60,000ha of land. According to the provincial government, 90% of the concessions at Madikwe are held by well-to-do foreign nationals under long leases — stretching in some instances to 99 years.
Pilanesberg now has 457 elephants against an optimal level of 200.
The high numbers pose ecological risks, including biodiversity loss, land degradation and increased human-wildlife conflict, minutes of the forestry, fisheries & the environment committee in parliament show. To this end, the North West government has set up a provincial elephant task team to find solutions. Among measures proposed by the North West government are culling and trophy hunting.
What this means
The government is developing a national action plan to tackle elephant overpopulation, which is threatening biodiversity, land health and increasing human-wildlife conflict — particularly in Madikwe and Pilanesberg game reserves. Authorities have proposed measures like culling and trophy hunting, sparking pushback from animal welfare groups. The NSPCA has been controversially excluded from the provincial task team, despite prior parliamentary instructions. Critics argue mismanagement, lack of contraception use, and disregard for non-lethal options have worsened the situation. A clearer national strategy is expected to be unveiled in November.
The task team is expected to present a preliminary report at the end of this month.
The make-up of the task team has courted controversy by excluding the National Council of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NCSPCA). One of the reasons advanced for the exclusion of the council as a permanent member of the task team is that its legislative mandate is focused on animal welfare, rather than animal management.
Douglas Wolhuter, manager in the wildlife protection unit of the NSPCA, reminded the portfolio committee that the entity’s exclusion from the task flew in the face of parliament’s instruction that it be included. He added that the option of trophy hunting was out of the question at this stage. “All these problems have come about through the mismanagement of the elephant population,” he told MPs.
Andrew de Blocq, DA spokesperson for forestry, fisheries & environment, insisted the NSPCA and other experts be included in the North West task team.
“Madikwe’s elephant population has soared from 219 to more than 1,200 over the past three decades, placing severe pressure on the reserve’s ecology. Several elephants were reported in critical condition and euthanised by the NSPCA last year,” De Blocq said.
“Provincial officials continue to promote culling and trophy hunting despite the norms and standards for elephants requiring non-lethal options to be exhausted first,” he said.
“Officials avoided answering critical questions including why non-lethal measures, especially contraception (available since 2022 at no cost) have not been implemented; what scientific basis exists for claims of overpopulation; why trophy hunting is being promoted despite its limited effectiveness; and what accountability measures have been taken for the mismanagement.”
Kruger National Park is home to one of Africa’s largest elephant populations, said to top 31,000, according to a recent study.
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