Linda Ensor
26 February 2008
Cape Town — Elephant culling will be permitted for the first time in SA since 1994 to control growing herds and to halt environmental damage.
The government estimates the elephant population of the Kruger National Park, SA's largest conservation area, is increasing 7% a year, and might reach 20000 by 2012 and 30000 by 2019.
In neighbouring Botswana, the elephant population has now reached about 106000 from 34000 in 1983, according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species .
Under a set of final norms and standards for elephant management, to be published in the Government Gazette on Friday, the import and export of captive elephants will also be prohibited, and intensive breeding of elephants in captivity, other than by natural birth, will be prevented.
"The government recognises the need to maintain culling as a management option, but it has taken steps to ensure that this will only be the option of last resort," Environment and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said yesterday.
"This means the capture of elephants for commercial exhibition facilities, such as elephant-back safari industries or circuses, will as of May 1 be prohibited."
The norms and standards would apply to all protected areas as well as to private land on which elephants were found.
The minister said there had been a number of complaints about alleged cruel and unethical practices during the training of elephants for safaris or circuses, such as the use of chains, ropes and electric prodders.
Van Schalkwyk committed his department to developing, within about a year, minimum standards for the management and care of the about 120 elephants already held in captivity.
Compliance with these standards would be a precondition for the approval of captive elephant facilities in terms of the threatened or protected species regulations, he said.
Van Schalkwyk said the agriculture department would craft a regulatory instrument under the Animals Protection Act and the Performance Animals Protection Act to govern captive elephants.
His department had jurisdiction only over elephants in the wild. He said there would be mechanisms in place for controlling the elephant population.
"What has emerged is a thoughtful piece of legislation ... (that) includes a tool box of options for the management of elephants, wild and captive."
Rob Little, of the World Wide Fund , said the government approach was "responsible" .
Jason Bell-Leask, of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said: "Now what is needed is to ensure the law is so tightly drafted that it leaves no gaps to be exploited by commercial operators, in particular the elephant-back safari industry."
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Culling is killing as a means of population control. It is not a means of hunting, it is not a hobby that one can "get in on'! Hunters will not be afforded the 'opportunity' to cull elephants in south africa. Culling has only been legalised as a last resort (this decision was taken by the goverment due to shockingly poor wildlife managment over the last ten years) and if and when it does occur, it will be strictly controlled. As a south african, I am appalled and offended by your comment. Elephants form part of my natural heritage and I strongly recommend that your point your hunting rifles elsewhere.
Slaughtering elephants from a helicopter as a means of population control is a misguided, brutal, cruel and barbaric practice. I find it hard to believe "Billie & Bear" from Corvallis, Montana have the audacity to post on the internet that they want to "get involved" in murdering elephants! I'm embarassed to be an American if hillbillies from Montana think Africa is their personal hunting ground. Are they not aware of the violent controvery surrounding the culling? Are there no newspapers in Montana? Billie & Bear should stick to shooting rabbits for sport and stay out of Africa forevermore. I live in Oregon and I can drive to Montana!
We are appalled by the heartless letter sent by the Montana murderers! We love elephants and are shocked at the proposed culling - we oppose it whole heartedly. We would like to send a message to the Montana murderers - stay out of Africa, it is not a playground for people like you. You give Americans a very bad name, and South Africans like us do not want you around. Keep away from our elephants and hunt in your own back yard - leave us to sort out our problem - you make it sound like hunting is a game - it's murder. Elephant lovers unite!!
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