“Elephant conservation is one of the success stories of South Africa where we’ve gone from elephants being almost entirely eradicated from the country to a point where they’ve been restocked in multiple areas and numbers are now increasing to the point, unfortunately, where they’re starting to have negative impacts on the habitats in those protected areas… and it has become necessary to manage numbers,” said Ian Rushworth, a representative from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.
This statement comes as Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has called for the relocation of over 1,000 elephants from various parks in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) due to rising populations that have exceeded the ecological carrying capacity of these protected areas. As of March 31, 2026, there are an estimated 2,862 elephants across 22 properties in KZN, with 60% of the population at full capacity.
The majority of removals are planned for Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, where 650 elephants are expected to be relocated. Other parks, including Ithala Game Reserve and Tembe Elephant Park, will also see significant removals, with 170 and 120 elephants respectively planned for relocation.
Efforts to manage elephant populations in KZN have been ongoing for over a decade, utilizing contraception and habitat expansion strategies. However, Ezemvelo has warned that failing to manage these numbers could lead to ecological collapse and increased human-wildlife conflict.
“Unfortunately with nearly 100 properties across the country all looking to find homes for extra elephants, there’s a lot of competition between properties and sometimes we lose out to other properties that are able to find homes for their elephants, including Kruger Park that obviously has a lot of elephants,” Rushworth added.
Despite the challenges, Ezemvelo stated that live removal remains its preferred option, although suitable new homes for elephants are critically scarce after two decades of searching. The organization emphasized the importance of managing elephant populations to mitigate risks associated with human-wildlife conflict, disease transmission, and animal suffering, particularly as climate change exacerbates drought conditions.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the potential for culling, which may become necessary if relocation efforts do not meet the required numbers. The exact number of elephants that may face culling has not been determined, leaving conservationists and wildlife managers in a challenging position as they navigate the complexities of elephant population management in the region.
