Elephant Relocation Boosts Biodiversity in Addo Elephant National Park
South African National Parks (SANParks) has successfully relocated 42 elephants within Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape, transferring them to the newly designated Kabouga section. Conducted between 12 and 15 May, the move involved five family groups—ranging from a 52-year-old matriarch to a calf under four months old—and is aimed at re-establishing ecological balance and expanding the elephants’ natural range within the park.
The project was carried out by a multidisciplinary team including wildlife veterinarians and conservation experts, with support from the Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa. Elephants are known as ecosystem engineers, and their reintroduction to this area is expected to restore ecological functions and enhance biodiversity. SANParks emphasised that this initiative forms part of a broader species-led restoration strategy to rehabilitate ecosystems where elephants have long been absent. The relocated elephants will be closely monitored as they adapt to their new habitat.
Source: IOL
