Mawana roaming elephant herd receives vital protection amid human-wildlife conflict in northern KwaZulu-Natal
The roaming Mawana elephant herd, which was facing an uncertain future due to being in conflict with residents of neighbouring communities, have been given a lifeline.
The Mercury reported last year that the elephants were reportedly terrorising communities outside the reserve. In March last year, an elephant attacked a herdsman.
Now a collaboration between Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife (Ezemvelo), Humane World for Animals, and Loziba Wildlife Reserve have resulted in a solution to safeguard this free-roaming elephant population.
In a statement, Humane World for Animals, said a proposal for an emergency area of approximately 8,300 ha south of the Mawana Reserve, referred to as Loziba Wildlife Reserve, was presented at the Ulundi Legislature in November 2024.
“It was accepted, pending fencing compliance and acceptance of an Elephant Management Plan. In the interim, conflict mitigation initiatives were established to safeguard the affected communities and the elephants.”
The Loziba Wildlife Reserve’s 66-kilometre perimeter fence is now complete and features an extensive tentacle system designed by Global Supplies that prevents direct access by the elephants to the fence.
In conjunction with a virtual fence programmed to the satellite collars sponsored by Humane World for Animals, these technologies combine to provide real-time alerts of the elephants’ proximity and location to the fence, to the rangers to ensure rapid response to potential breaches.
Vuyiswa Radebe, head of Ezemvelo’s Biodiversity Conservation Operations, has hailed this success as a pivotal milestone in addressing the ongoing human-wildlife conflict in the Mawana area, amid pressing environmental challenges.
“This accomplishment would not have been possible without the outstanding collaboration and steadfast support from our NGO partners, whose expertise, resources, and dedication proved essential in executing this intricate operation. As Ezemvelo, we stand resolute in our commitment to conserving KwaZulu-Natal’s biodiversity for generations to come, and we offer our profound thanks to everyone involved, as well as to the communities for their remarkable patience during the search for a lasting solution”.
Humane World for Animals (formerly HSI / Africa) said it spearheaded non-lethal, science-driven interventions to stabilise the population’s growth and reduce conflict.
Key initiatives included:
- Fertility Control through immunocontraception to manage elephant population growth humanely with project implementation specialist, Global Supplies.
- Conflict Mitigation though the supply of specific tools for reaction units and support for management interventions under Ezemvelo direction.
- Community Engagement through training of dedicated elephant shepherds to promote coexistence facilitated by Elephants Alive, through on-site engagement with reaction units regarding the elephant’s proximity to the various communities.
- Monitoring through real-time tracking and virtual fences using GPS collars for behavioural insights and safety.
The herd was safely moved into the reserve by November 10.
“This success proves that coexistence is possible when science, collaboration, and willpower come together,” said Dr. Audrey Delsink, senior director of wildlife at Humane World.
“Non-lethal, ethical solutions are ready to be deployed; thus we urge authorities and stakeholders in other jurisdictions to embrace them and follow suit.”