Mawana Elephants: Refugee Herds, Human Conflict and the Fight for Coexistence in Zululand
- LionExpose
- Dec 13, 2024
- 7 min read
Exclusive Interview with Ian Redmond OBE on the Future of the Mawana Elephants
Ongoing Conflict in Zululand
"The phenomenon of ‘refugee elephants’ fleeing areas they perceive to be dangerous is well documented across Africa…"
LionExpose will be breaking down the continuing complex saga of the persecuted herd and the communities who have been forced to live amongst the Elephants. We will go back to the Ulundi meeting and move forward over the next few weeks.
On the 19th of November, Ezemvelo hosted an exhaustive "round table" discussion in Ulundi, KZN. The meeting was attended by several Ndunas representing communities affected by the Elephants, Mawana Game Reserve, LionExpose, Reserve planner Grant, his partner, and two NGO’s.
A separate follow-up media meeting was held on the 11th of December via Teams, which gave details of the "round table" meeting and allowed a Q and A session for interested local journalists enabling all enquiries into one session.
Hopefully, this strategy avoids misinformation and speculation being reported, as was prolific, following the tragic killing of nine of the herd on the 31st August...but more about that in weeks to come as things progress.
The Kwa Ceza Conflicts and Herding Efforts
In late October the Kwa Ceza Conflicts broke out as the Elephants where roaming in the area, a media statement asking for assistance saw the herd being pushed humanely with a drone, brilliantly piloted by a local Vryheid resident. A day later a helicopter came in and "pushed" the Elephants again. Footage showed young elephants, and the herd moved off about a kilometre away but not into any fenced area.
We asked is this going to be a regular occurrence and how humane is this?
Expert Insights from Ian Redmond OBE
Ian Redmond OBE kindly answered some questions, and this report was used during the discussions in Ulundi regarding the welfare and stress the surviving Elephants must surely be suffering.
Interview with Ian Redmond OBE
LE: "How sustainable is this herding and to keep doing this and what is the effect on the already traumatized Elephants?"
IR: Using a helicopter to herd elephants is effective because it frightens them and can be used to drive them in the desired direction. The drawback is that it leaves them in a state of panic, potentially leading to accidents and putting any people who encounter them soon afterwards at greater risk. Other less intrusive methods such as drones that sound like bees would be preferable and much less expensive.
LE: "Do the Elephants not associate the helicopter noise with the recent slaughter of part of their family?"
IR: Using the same helicopters and/or vehicles for herding and culling will clearly confuse and terrify the elephants, exacerbating the risk of panic-induced accidents and attacks on humans encountered while in that state of terror. I know from personal experience that elephants who misunderstand the sounds or actions of well-intentioned humans might be triggered into attacking the nearest humans they can access.
LE: "The area is extremely dry and water is the major issue as the elephants are sharing the water with blossoming rural communities and around five thousand cattle. There are two key water holes that are safe and out of 'conflict' but they are dry until rains come. Should this not be a priority mitigation factor to fill these key waterholes?"
IR: Elephants will quickly respond to the presence of safe, reliable water sources. Provision of such water holes might act to attract them to where they can meet their needs, obviating the need for herding – better to induce them with what they need rather than terrifying them to drive them in the desired direction.
LE: "One of these waterholes was historically favoured by the elephants and they now pass it by -which is clear by their tracks and spoor – the elephants are crossing a road through a hostile area in a literal line over a private farm to another water source on a river. Would the Elephants not move away from this dangerous terrain and reuse the waterhole if it were filled - as it is also on the same route?"
IR: Yes, it is well known that elephants differentiate between areas they perceive or know to be dangerous and areas they feel safe, naturally they prefer to spend time where they are safe. Much of this geographical knowledge is cultural, learned during the long period of maternal dependency, so mothers will teach their young and a sustainable solution will emerge once a clear plan has been developed and they experience consistent availability of water.
LE: "The farm on this water point has dogs and on weekends bush poachers and rural residents use it - suddenly since August it is busy being developed for soybean farming and the soy area is on this route. The farmer developing the Soy said he will put up fences, but only normal border fences... With water being scarce but plentiful here, again, shouldn’t this make filling the historic safe waterholes an urgent endeavour for the thirsty herd?"
IR: Yes. Developing agriculture in an elephant pathway is unwise. Electric fences might well keep the elephants out of the crops, but must allow migratory pathways to allow the elephants to follow their traditional routes, otherwise, problems will ensue. Bushmeat hunters, even if not hunting elephants, cause them stress and – if laying snares – injuries to trunks/feet that can maim or cause death. Injured elephants suffering pain are more likely to attack people they encounter even if not posing a threat.
LE: "The Elephants might be trying to look for ways out of the whole area as well. Ground observations and through our 'bush telegraph' in May this year it was clear the Elephants were moving to areas that they historically have never been into and seemed to be testing out some routes. Is this a behaviour that could be the results of stress and an inherent sense of danger?"
IR: Yes. The phenomenon of ‘refugee elephants’ fleeing areas they perceive to be dangerous (such as war zones or intense poaching) is well documented across Africa.
LE: "In June they hid out for a few weeks at an Undisclosed area near Mawana in dense bush but also on an area not used historically. A safe space. There are very young calves in the remaining herd and the Elephants seem desperate to protect them. Over a few weeks they appeared close to other communities to drink from rivers and the same kind citizen used a drone to herd them! Better than a helicopter. With this evidence they might be hungry and thirsty."
IR: Agreed. Please thank the chap who used a drone!
LE: "Big question is the effects on the elephants with interference to push them now seemingly occurring more regularly. The area where they were herded from two weeks back is quite a distance from this latest area BUT is also an area they have been able to roam in for over ten years. The elephants are being squeezed out of historical areas. Does this not make the waterholes that are safe a major urgency and key mitigation factor to address the conflict?"
IR: Yes. Create a safe place with sufficient access to water and food plants.
LE: "Is all this pushing with no destination impacting the elephants?"
IR: Yes, it will cause confusion and fear. Stressed animals are more dangerous.
LE: "MGR offered the government the use of their 10,000 hectares as a temporary solution and there are professional game capture people who had worked with these elephants back in 2017 and who could work out a way to herd them into Mawana. If those waterholes were filled and strategic feed drops to attract (range manipulation) the elephants were actioned, along with fence repairs, Geo-fencing AND ground crew monitoring the elephants and (no other options) could this be a possibility as a last-ditch effort?"
IR: Makes sense – elephants are an asset, human-elephant coexistence depends on good land-use planning taking into account and considering the needs of all parties, including the elephants. (Some farmers might allow snippets of their land to be added to some of the borders of MGR.)
LE: "Once the Elephants are contained an Elephant Management Plan could be re-drafted. These Elephants have in the past been denied more help due to NGOs originally claiming they are privately owned but they are in fact Res Nullius and have been free roaming since 2016. In your opinion do you think more should have been offered to protect communities and the elephants by NGOs who claim to work in HEC?"
IR: Yes. And see previous.
LE: "Or is it government’s responsibility?"
IR: Governments set the legislative framework but making this a success requires all parties to collaborate under a jointly agreed plan.
LE: "Heading up to Christmas and the crop season leaving the elephants roaming is not sustainable have you any advice or an opinion?"
IR: Indeed, and big holidays are often associated with increase in bushmeat hunting for sale or family feasts, which will further stress the elephants.
LE: "Immunocontraceptives were given to Elephants allegedly in 2021, but 2022 was missed and then again in September 2023 - but not again so far in 2024 due to all this infighting and no one being sure of who is who!"
IR: Given the recent reduction in elephant numbers, the question of fertility regulation should be revisited as part of the overall management plan. It might not be necessary in the short term. The area available and the quality of vegetation will determine the carrying capacity – which could increase if neighbouring landowners open up more habitat to them if the project is commercially successful. Presumably, this is a breeding herd which bodes well for a self-sustaining population if sustainably managed.
LE refers to LionExpose
IR refers to Ian Redmond
video speeded up
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