Home to 44 000 African savanna elephants and a population that continues to grow, South Africa’s conservation efforts have demonstrated success, unlike in some other countries where elephant numbers are on the decline.

“Our elephants are a national treasure, a keystone species, an integral part of our heritage, and play a significant role in maintaining a balance where the creation of value exceeds consumption, crucial for sustaining and increasing South Africa’s social and natural capital, which are fundamental for inclusive socio-economic development,” the deputy minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Narend Singh, said on Tuesday.

As South Africa joined the global community in celebrating World Elephant Day, the deputy minister noted that elephants in South Africa have also expanded their range over the past 40 years.

Most elephants in the country live in government-protected areas like Kruger National Park, Mapungubwe National Park and Tembe Elephant Park.

These parks are part of larger transfrontier conservation areas, where elephants often move freely across national borders and are shared with neighbouring countries.

“In addition to these large parks, there are 89 smaller, fenced reserves that also support elephant populations. About 6 000 elephants are owned privately or by communities, and in recent years, more and more communities have started to manage elephants themselves,” Singh said.

While South Africa’s success in recovering elephant populations offers hope for the species, the deputy minister warned that it also brings a difficult trade-off in the context of the country’s developmental agenda and needs.

“As elephant numbers and ranges expand, encounters between people and elephants have increased, particularly in rural communities living near protected areas.

“Human-elephant conflict can result in crop losses, damage to infrastructure, and in some cases, injury or loss of human life. For many affected families, these incidents can threaten food security and livelihoods.

“Managing these interactions is essential to ensuring that conservation gains do not come at the expense of community well-being. It requires innovative solutions that promote co-existence, such as improved land-use planning, early-warning systems, community-based monitoring, and benefit-sharing initiatives that recognise the costs of living alongside elephants,” Singh said.

While re-imagining conservation in the country, South Africa’s aspiration is to ensure that thriving elephants contribute to improving the well-being of people and ecosystems simultaneously.

The country’s conservation efforts are guided by the four goals of the White Paper policy on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biodiversity, which are aimed at balancing conservation with sustainable use, transformation, access and benefit sharing.

The deputy minister was addressing the Elephant Indaba at Bonamanzi in KZN, a province that is home to the second-largest elephant population in the country.

The Elephant Indaba coincided with World Elephant Day, which was celebrated under the theme: ‘Matriarchs’ and Memories’.

World Elephant Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the urgent need to protect and manage the world’s elephants. – SAnews.gov.za

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