Let’s Talk Numbers.
By the Numbers
0 Elephants
Total Number of Elephants in South Africa
0 Elephants
On state-owned land
0 Elephants
On private or communal owned land
Large Elephant Populations in South Africa:
- Madikwe – 1629 elephants
- Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area (GMTFCA) – 1970 elephants
- Kruger, APNR, Sabie Sands, Makuya, Mayaleti, Greater Letaba Ranch
- Addo Elephant Park Eastern Cape – 804
- Hluhluwe-imfolozi – 864
High level, take home messages about elephants in South Africa:
- CITES Appendix II listing
- <0.01% loss of elephants through poaching; poaching is not a threat to elephants in South Africa
- No new elephant properties coming online
- No new space for elephants
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
- Highest elephant population in South Africa in a century
- Smaller elephant populations actively contracepted
- Increasing population
Elephant Statistics:
| Period | Estimated Total (lbs) |
| 1832–1869 | ~695,000 |
| 1870–1883 | ~1,425,000 |
| 1884–1909 | ~210,000 |
| Total | ~2,330,000 lbs |
Let’s dive into podcasts on South African Elephants:
Specific Hotspots for Elephants in South Africa:
Madikwe:
Action, not finger-pointing, is needed for Madikwe’s elephants
At a crossroads: Sustainable solutions for Madikwe’s elephant overpopulation crisis
Kwazulu Natal:
Urgent call to relocate elephants as KZN reserves reach capacity
Kruger National Park:
- 70% of elephants in South Africa are in Kruger
- No hunting of elephants in Kruger
- Trophy hunting under the strictest hunting protocols in Africa occurs on adjacent properties and is not a threat to elephant population numbers in Kruger
Kruger has the best dataset with respect to understanding age vs. ivory weight and length. Study performed by Dr. Ian Whyte and Anthony Hall-martin:
Growth characteristics of tusks of elephants in Kruger National Park
*Reference List*
{Elephant Reference List}