Jumbo boost for Somerset East as elephants return to the region (South Africa)

Guy Rogers, The Herald Eastern Cape

November 20, 2006

ELEPHANTS have been re-introduced into the Somerset East area where they used to occur in passing herds along the Little Fish River.

The manager of Kamala Game Reserve, Dale Cunningham, said yesterday the release was the fulfilment of a dream for his father-in-law, Lud de Bruijn, which began when he bought the land in 1978 and changed from stock to game.

“The re-introduction was huge for us and for the area, in terms of conservation and tourism. These things have become commonplace on the PE-Grahamstown road but up here it was a big occasion.”

Situated 14km outside Somerset East, the 6 000ha Kamala reserve is transected by the Bruintjieshoogte and Boschberg mountains and 34km of the Little Fish. The area includes a range of indigenous vegetation including valley bushveld and riverine forest.

Cunningham said the three elephants comprising mother, father and daughter seemed to be foraging comfortably.

“We have spent the last year upgrading and electrifying our fences. The elephants spent some time checking these boundaries and since then have been playing hide-and- seek in the densest bush. As they start to feel more secure, I‘m sure they will show themselves more.”

He said an environmental assessment had indicated there was plenty of food available for the group. As a way of testing this, he and his team will be demarcating and photographing one of the likely high impact zones and then monitoring it on an ongoing basis to see how it copes with the elephants.

The elephants were acquired from Shamwari through a deal which is facilitating the spread of game in the province. Shamwari carried the cost of the darting and Kamala the cost of transport, with no money required for the jumbos themselves. Centre for Conservation Ecology researcher Dr Andre Boshoff said the monitoring project would be vital in gauging the suitability of the move. Records show that elephants historically conducted seasonal forays up river valleys like the Little Fish into the Eastern Cape interior, but there was no evidence of them having been permanent residents, he said.

http://www.theherald.co.za/herald/news/n13_20112006.htm

it sounds fantastic but i am yet a bit curious how they picked the little family! we know that elis normally live in groups of adult femals and youngsters........don't they feel abandoned or rather helpless in that new and therefore strange environment?
let's hope the best for the sake of these gracious animals!
pippa

by the way: jan, it's amazing how you get all these news! thanks for sharing! must say since you joined the "club" its even more interesting!!!
chapeau - jan!

Pippa:

I can guess what it might be. In Tsavo I've seen several very small families of a female with three young calfs; one several months old, one 4 - 5 years old and one 9 or 10 years old. My first thought was that perhaps the female was the only one of her family that survived the poaching years back. However, in talking with several Tsavo people they tell me that often young elephant females are "raped" (?bred) and their family disowns them. Don't know for sure if this is really true or not. I'll have to ask the experts when I get there in January.

However, these tiny family groups are very subservient to the regular matriarchal herds. I've seen them stand way back from the waterhole until the regular groups get their water and leave, and then the female leads her small family to water. The regular herds want nothing to do with them. It is so sad.

It would be fairly easy to obtain a small group because they wouldn't have a large family to protect them. Thus I guess something like this might have happened above. However, it is most unusual to have the "father" stick around unless the female is in estrus and he is guarding her.

It is great to see two different groups working together to achieve their goals!