The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa) has initiated an elephant monitoring project in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu Natal. It will assist in understanding how elephant populations can be managed in closed systems as well as provide data and support to enhance Ezemvelo KwaZulu Natal Wildlife’s elephant numbers.
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park Ecologist, Dr Dave Druce, said the project would maintain the elephant population in a state that did not jeopardise the conservation of biodiversity elements as well as maintaining ecological processes within the park.
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Wessa has also appointed Timothy Kuiper as an elephant research monitor in the park, to assist Druce with monitoring elephant activities, including building up the photographic database of individual elephants and field ID kits; collecting data on herd demographics and family structure; monitoring elephant movements from GPS collar data; and assisting on the ground with contraception operations.
The current project will last for five months.
