The Pongola Game Reserve in South Africa is confronting a significant crisis in elephant management. Dereck Milburn and The Wildlife Emergency Fund (WEF) have been leading efforts to address this issue for years. The crisis is focused on the eastern shore of the reserve, where elephants have been confined to a narrow strip of land. This isolated area is bordered by cliffs, an international boundary with Eswatini, and a dam, making it a prime location for poaching and conflicts between humans and wildlife. The situation has deteriorated further, as elephants have begun to cross into Eswatini, escalating this into a matter of international conservation concern.

Dereck’s team has performed thorough evaluations, including two elephant population counts, to gain a clearer understanding of the issue. Dereck and WEF, along with our partners at Conservation Solutions, have taken proactive measures in this crisis by supplying the government with essential information in detailed reports. These reports encompass initial counts and updates on the elephants’ migration into Eswatini, providing a complete overview of the circumstances.

These assessments identified approximately six troubled family groups. The team plans to capture and relocate these elephants to more secure locations. The main difficulty, however, is locating appropriate relocation sites. Numerous reserves are experiencing elephant overpopulation, making it increasingly challenging to find suitable homes for elephants in Southern Africa.