South African National Parks has moved 42 elephants within Addo Elephant National Park as part of efforts to expand their range and restore natural ecological processes.

Kabouga, a three-month-old baby elephant, will spend the rest of his life in the newly secured section of Addo Elephant National Park that he was named after, where his ancestors last lived more than 100 years ago.

He and his family are among 42 elephants translocated last week within Addo Elephant National Park, in the Eastern Cape, as part of ongoing efforts to expand the Addo elephants' range and restore ecological balance in the conservation area.

Between 12 and 15 May 2025, South African National Parks (SANParks) conservationists, veterinarians, rangers and honorary rangers gathered at Addo's Main Camp to move five elephant family groups to the park's Kabouga section, about 50km away by road from Main Camp.

Addo is not a single, unbroken park. Rather, it is a mosaic of fragmented sections -- Darlington, Kabouga, Zuurberg, Nyathi, Main Camp, Colchester, and Woody Cape -- separated by roads, railways, and private land. This fragmentation means wildlife cannot migrate freely, and park managers must take an active role in ensuring ecological balance.

Just as animals have...