Several families in the KwaMpumpula area of KwaCeza, Nongoma, KZN, were on Tuesday forced to flee their homes amid fears of free-roaming elephants.

While some ran for cover, others sought refuge with relatives. While on high alert, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has called for non-lethal solutions to manage roaming elephants potentially threatening residents’ livelihoods.

The entity’s communications manager Musa Mntambo says they responded to an urgent outcry from KwaMpumpula regarding the dangerous situation involving elephants that reportedly escaped from a privately-owned game reserve.

“The situation escalated again on Wednesday night when a herd of elephants entered the Esidakaneni area under iNkosi Ndebele, causing further distress to the community,” says Mntambo.

“Ezemvelo has deployed officials to monitor the situation on the ground and ensure the safety of residents while efforts are made to address the crisis. The elephants are estimated to be around 30 in number.”

Mntambo adds that, following an outcry over the destruction of nine elephants near Mawana Private Game Reserve, Ezemvelo is urgently appealing to all NGOs and individuals to provide non-lethal solutions to safely remove elephants from the area.