This move involved various teams of conservationists, wildlife veterinarians, and logistical specialists.

Addo is home to a small and unique elephant population, originating from 11 elephants back in the 1930s. It has now grown to over 800.

These five elephant families now have 26 acres of new land to explore. They are the first elephants on these lands in over one hundred years. The high mountains and freshwater stream will be more than sufficient for these gentle giants.

SA National Parks Senior Veterinarian Manager Dr David Zimmermann says, “This relocation is also part of managing the relocation of the elephants by moving them to other areas. We are mimicking a process of dispersion and immigration. Historically, elephants would have had access to the mountains and the Kabouga section. They would have been connected to the Gamtoos, the Knysna elephant park populations, and even right down to the Western Cape. They were free to move across the landscape. By managing the populations, we are linking them to other populations as well.”

The reintroduction of these herbivores is central to the broader conservation vision of repairing degraded ecosystems through species-led restoration.

Conservation Manager at Addo Elephant National Park, Anban Padayachee, says, “We know wherever elephants are, they transform and adapt the landscapes for the benefit of all animals. The Albany thicket is synonymous with elephants; it’s one of their key species. We refer to elephants as ecosystem engineers. By that, I mean they change the ecosystem. They open up thick areas, allowing other animals access to food, shelter, or water.”

According to animal researchers, it’s important to keep the matriarch together with all the offspring.

The oldest of the translocated elephants is 52 years old, and the youngest is only 3 months old.

With their vigilance high, being in a new and strange environment, it is likely that these mammals will try to find their way home.

Zimmermann says, “Even after they are released, they are tranquilised, so we can give them long-acting tranquilisers just to habituate them to the new environment. Within those first eight to nine days, they are still just getting used to their new environment. The last thing we want is for those animals to be released and then want to come back to the main camp. Animals have an amazing home instinct; they will try to get back to where they came from.”

The elephants have been collared, and their adjustment to the new area will be monitored closely.

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