ELEPHANT PROBLEM



Our first encounter in Kruger

The first citing of elephants in the African wild was a real shocker for me. We had just left the elephant museum in Kruger. Frikkie was driving on a dirt road running near the river looking for hippo and buffalo. Suddenly in the bush just yards off the road stood a herd of elephant. I knew elephants were big but they seemed giant peering over the bush at us. The herd was headed for the river in the mid-day heat and we were in their way. Several trumpetted loudly in protest as the herd went crashing through the bush. We had many other encounters with elephants. One close encounter that stands out was when we came around a bend to find a herd standing in the middle of the road. One young bull decided he did not like the look of the  Fortuner or the people in it. He flaired his ears and walked towards us blowing all the way. Frikkie camly slipped the Toyota into reverse and backed up slowly. I guess the teen bully figured he had proven his point as he trumpetted and trotted into the bush. One evening we came upon a big bull in some open grass land working his way toward the road. He approached our car very slowly and calmly. Suddenly he flaired his ears. Frikkie slipped the car into drive and told Di the time to snap a picture was at hand. The bull was making a threat and we needed to go...NOW!  Actually, Kruger has an elephant problem. On one occassion we watched a bull elephant push over a tree, then only eat a mouth or two full and move on. There are more elephants now in the park than the food chain can support. In many areas of the park damage to the trees and the habitat is clearly visible. Many conservationists and professional hunters in Africa feel the park needs to cull the herd numbers. Good intending bunny huggers have some crazy solutions including birth contol. Sounds good on paper but not very practical in a park this massive. These are giant wild animals in a huge wild place. Not the poor elephants you see at the zoo or circus. Some people want nothing done at all. In this case, I think just letting nature run its course would be a monumental error. The battle over the elephant population within the park is a very heated issue on both sides. I feel the only way to save the land now for all animals of the park and future generations is to thin the elephant herd numbers. Without man getting involved the elephants will simply continue to breed and eat themselves out of house and home. These magnificant creatures deserve better.



Please back up

Point proven

Take the picture now!

Youngster follows his mother at the river crossing