Madikwe Nature Reserve Elephant Situation
Elephants were first reintroduced into Madikwe Nature Reserve in 1992 and 1993 when approximately 220 elephants, including orphans were obtained from Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe and Kruger National Park, respectively. The Madikwe Nature Reserve was established around 1990 to stimulate economic and social development in the region through the creation and management of a ‘Big Five’ wildlife experience in the park.
The elephant population has been settling very well with showing consistent growth over the past 30 years with the population expanding to more than 1600 animals in 2023 and 2024. The impact of the high density of elephants on the vegetation and habitat in general became very evident and obvious that population management needed to be done, which was in tandem with the approved Elephant Management Plan. This was after Madikwe initially opted for a non-lethal population control approach pursuing options such as translocation, range expansion and contraception. Lethal options were not considered as a preferred option in the Madikwe situation, especially given the emotional sentiment afforded to the species, as Madikwe was primed as a tourist destination and posed a reputational risk that could be devastating to the park and its objectives.
The non-lethal options didn’t yield the desired results. Translocation of elephants and park expansion opportunities were real but for various reasons could not happen, though we managed to make some inroads into fording the Marico into Limpopo, this amount may be paltry in the greater scheme of things. In the meantime, the population was increasing to a level way beyond the reserves carrying capacity, and we may have been too late to implement contraception, given the large population size and other deliberations.
The burgeoning elephant population in Madikwe is having an impact on biodiversity in the park, which can be seen from the ground, and has even been noted in a spatial analysis of satellite imagery. The canopy structure of trees throughout the reserve has been reduced to a two-meter-high shrub layer and the density of large trees in Madikwe has declined significantly over the past 30 years. The presence of large trees is central in sustaining habitat for secondary species such as nesting and roosting sites of raptors such as the owls, vultures and eagles, as well as tree-dwelling animals, such as bushbabies, genets, small birds of prey and their absence can lead to an overall loss of biodiversity. The high numbers of elephants are also affecting the availability of food for other herbivores in Madikwe. Madikwe was established to stimulate economic development in the region, based on an exclusive Big-Five wildlife experience, and this objective must inform the management of the reserve and its elephants through ecological sustainability and maintaining biodiversity. With elephant dominating the herbivore assemblages in Madikwe by far, and for some time, the quality and availability of food for other herbivore is increasingly compromised and management is forced to reduce numbers of these ungulate species to protect grazing. This is contrary to the objectives for the reserve.
If the situation is ignored and no intervention is applied, the elephant population in Madikwe can increase to around 2300 over the next 10 years. Considering the current devastation, the addition of another 800 elephants can just be imagined. However, even if it stabilizes at the current number, this population level can still further aggravate the state.
The turning point came after Madikwe had a particularly poor rainfall year during the 2023/2024 rainfall season. It was evident that drastic interventions were necessary, and in September 2024, the North West Parks and Tourism Board wrote a letter through the MEC – North-West Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism to the National Minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) to alert the department about the overabundance of elephants in Madikwe Nature Reserve and that the department’s support is sought as we consider a totally integrated approach, including lethal control. The Honorable Minister responded by setting up a Provincial Task Team to investigate elephant population challenges with the aim of finding sustainable and practical solutions. The MEC further committed participation of the Department of Forest Fisheries and Environment, the South African National Parks (SANParks) and South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) to Provincial Task Team.
The local overabundance of elephants is not unique to Madikwe Nature Reserve and same is experienced in other reserves in South Africa and neighboring countries. This is primarily because of a reluctance to implement lethal control methods because of the sentiments around elephants and the debates around static carrying capacity, limits of change, elephant impact, etc. Given the current situation in Madikwe it is obvious that we should have responded sooner to avert such a crisis, but these uncertainties may have allowed procrastination to creep in while it is true this park over the years has been very committed to other pachyderms, the two rhinoceros species.
The Provincial Task Team will consult widely to ensure not only the opinions of all stakeholders are considered, but also the expertise of experienced elephant managers is sought as we move towards the urgent formulation and implementation of a sustainable solution to the crisis. Research institutions will also be drawn into the process to ensure accurate monitoring of the relevant parameters and guiding the implementation through an adaptive management approach.
