New regulations for elephants‘ care greeted with mixed feelings (South AFrica)
Janine Oelofse, The Herald
February 28, 2008
THE new Norms and Standards for the Management of Elephants in South Africa has evoked mixed reactions from elephant owners in the Southern Cape, with some welcoming the document and others saying it needs more work.
The norms and standards are to be published in the Government Gazette on Friday and will be effective from May 1 this year.
According to Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, there was widespread public concern for the welfare of elephants in captivity.
The new regulations prohibit the capture of wild elephants except for rehabilitation purposes. Orphans on private and communal land will have to be rehabilitated into the wild and the capture of elephants for elephant back safaris will be prohibited.
There will be no more import and export of elephants, no intensive breeding in captivity and the minister plans to release minimum standards of care for the management of elephants in captivity.
Knysna Elephant Park owner Lisette Withers said yesterday although many of the regulations would not affect her sanctuary, she took offence to the minister labelling everyone equally.
“The minister makes mention of certain operations not being of standard and in one comment equated the industry to a derogatory form of living.
“Knysna Elephant Park was the first elephant orphanage in the country and the minister has not visited our operation, so he should refrain from making sweeping statements of the industry.”
She said although some of the proposals were welcome, others, like having two handlers per elephant and six in reserve, were just not economically viable or logistically possible.
She said Van Schalkwyk was at times misguided in his approach.
“The industry needs to tidy itself up and I agree with that. I do not believe elephants should be prostituted to every place with a hole to keep them, but I do not think we should all be tarred with the same brush,” she said.
Withers said conservationists and practitioners of eco-tourism needed to work together to find an ethical balance in the management of animals in captivity, and that more work was needed on the norms and standards.
Chris Kruger, who owns the Elephant Sanctuary in The Crags outside Plettenberg Bay, said he was part of the workshop that formulated the document and was happy with the new standards.
“It protects the existing elephant owners now that there are new rules and regulations. Now there is only one way to manage elephants in captivity, and that is the right way,” he said.
He also welcomed culling as the existing population was more than the Kruger Park‘s carrying capacity.
“We have been waiting for this a long time and are very happy that it has come through and we are happy that you can not take an ‘ellie‘ out of the wild for tourism. It is a very positive step for all,” he said.
Leon de Kock, who owns the Rhino Base Camp outside Plettenberg Bay said he did not own elephants at his reserve but was concerned about how the new regulations would impact any possible plans should he want to incorporate the animals in future.
Article at the following link:
http://www.theherald.co.za/herald/news/n08_28022008.htm
