"NO decision has been taken to kill any elephants in the Kruger National Park (KNP) and reports to the contrary are totally sensational and misleading."
This statement comes from Mavuso Msimang, chief executive of the South African National Parks (SANP) in reaction to a report published in a local weekly newspaper that 1 000 elephants in the KNP would be culled next year.
The newspaper report referred to the media briefing held on Monday, March 6, hosted by Minister of Environmental Affairs & Tourism, Mohammed Valli Moosa in which the new management plan of the KNP was outlined, pertaining in particular to the management of elephants.
However, according to Msimang, the plan - outlined by Ian Whyte of the SANP's scientific staff - indicated clearly that it would result in a massive increase in the elephant population.
"While the removal of elephants from designated zones was discussed, no mention was made of a resumption of killing elephants next year. Mr Whyte in fact emphasised that alternatives to killing elephants, such as translocation, would be pursued before any resumption of killing," says Msimang.
A population control mechanism would be to transport live elephants from the KNP to other areas where the elephant population is not so abundant.
"The Eastern Cape is currently preparing to take 50 to 100 animals for the 40 000-hectare Fish River Complex. This will go some way towards immediate relief for the sensitive botanical reserves in the north and south of the Kruger Park" he reports.
Msimang further pointed out that South Africa's proposal to the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to authorise a downlisting of elephants, includes the important element of allowing for the sale of live elephants to other countries.
"The opportunity to give Transfrontier Conservation between South Africa and Mozambique a boost by the re-stocking of war-ravaged areas with thousands of elephants is an opportunity that must not be missed."
(Adele Mackenzie)
