Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife has put out an urgent appeal for help to deal with a herd of escaped elephants. File Picture: Independent Newspapers
Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife has issued an urgent appeal for non-lethal solutions to manage the growing threats of roaming elephants in the Nongoma area.
Ezemvelo has acted swiftly following alarming reports from the KwaMpumpula community about a herd of elephants that escaped from a nearby private game reserve.
On the evening of Tuesday, October 22, families were forced to evacuate their homes, seeking safety with relatives as fears of potential attacks loomed large.
The situation intensified the following night when the elephants moved into the Esidakaneni area, under Inkosi Ndebele, prompting further panic among local residents, said Ezemvelo communications manager Musa Mntambo.
“Ezemvelo has deployed officials to monitor the situation on the ground and ensure the safety of residents while efforts are made to address the crisis. The elephants are estimated to be around 30 in number,” said Mntambo.
Mntambo said the issue of escaped elephants has been going on for many years.
“They belonged to Mawana private game reserve and the elephants moved to nearby community areas by themselves. The fence for Mawana is almost non-existent,” he explained.
In earlier instances, it was reported that Ezemvelo intervened in the long-standing human-wildlife conflict caused by elephants that came from the private Pongolo Game Reserve East.
Ezemvelo is now appealing to NGOs and the public for non-lethal solutions to safely relocate the elephants.
The iconic mammal is a major tourism drawcard, but is under threat of extinction due to poaching and human encroachment of its environment.
This plea comes on the heels of recent media reports concerning the tragic culling of nine elephants near Mawana Private Game Reserve.
In March this year, Ezemvelo issued a final compliance notice to Mawana Game Reserve due to its failure to prevent elephants from escaping the reserve.
Ezemvelo urges anyone with expertise or resources to assist in this crisis to reach out to Vuyiswa Radebe at Vuyiswa.Radebe@kznwildlife.com
The iconic mammal is a major tourism drawcard, but is under threat of extinction due to poaching and human encroachment of its natural environment.
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