The bull elephants arrived first on Monday, May 5 followed by the rest of the herd on Tuesday, May 6. The sale of the Elephants of Eden property necessitated the relocation of the herd.
The Knysna Elephant Park's bulls, Harry and Namib had previously been moved to Elephants of Eden, along with the cow Tosha, who gave birth to a baby girl Thembi there.
They have now returned to their home in Knysna and with them the rest of the herd, Gambo and the orphaned elephant calves, Mpho, Ntombi, Kito and Lunzi, all four of whom had originally been moved from Sandhurst Safaris in the North-West Province. (Tosha's temporary move to Elephants of Eden had been necessitated by a knee injury. Gambo had been a permanent resident at Elephants of Eden.)
Debbie Young and volunteers of the African Elephant Research Unit (AERU) have been monitoring this herd for some time. Young is thrilled that Tosha has become a wonderful matriarch for this herd of gentle giants.
Since elephants are very social beings, it was important that the entire herd is relocated. Young says that the herd's behaviour immediately after completion of the relocation was further evidence of this fact.
This herd is currently in a release camp as prescribed by the government norms and standards. AERU volunteers have been monitoring them since their arrival and report that the herd appears to be calm and well-settled. "It was amazing to see how Harry welcomed the orphans," said Young. (Harry had arrived at his Knysna home a day prior to the orphans.)
Young explains that AERU's aim is to provide research that would guide good elephant welfare practices. She says she was grateful that they had the opportunity to watch the herd closely and take cognisance of their interpersonal relationships to gain the knowledge necessary to ensure that their relocation was as easy for them as possible.
In 2013, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) instituted legal action against Lisette Withers, proprietor of the Kynsna Elephant Park and then also Elephants of Eden, following the original relocation of the four orphans who are now part of this herd. At the time of their original relocation from the North-West Province there was much controversy since the calves were removed prior to their mothers being culled, which meant that they were not technically orphan
s at the time of their removal, even though the mothers had been due for culling and were culled shortly after the calves removal. "The NSPCA wanted to murder the babies," said Withers. "The mothers were shot and these babies were given a new lease on life."
A court date for the legal proceedings has not yet been set.
The calf in the foreground is Thembi, who was born to Tosha while she lived at Elephants of Eden in the Eastern Cape. Her entire herd relocated to the Knysna Elephant Park this week.
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