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World elephant Day …… how desperate do our largest land mammals need this DAY!

Their peaceful existence is in the very fragile hands of humans. Some people might not want to hear this.. Due to loss of habitat and fragmentation, fences and management plans, blocking of historical migration routes and no financial value, their majestic presence has become a burden worldwide.

An amazing and extraordinary event took place on Monday 15 March 2021 when our Pongola Game Reserve elephants walked up to the top of the highest crest of the Ubombo Mountains spending all day in full view of the Myeni community at Mavela and Wildlife Spirit. On a clear day, from this elevated position, one can see the coastal dunes of Maputaland and the hills of Nongoma, the Heart of Zululand.

The pass they took to ascend to the mountain top is known amongst the local community as "isihlalo sendlovu" - the saddle of an elephant. This was the first time that they had walked as far as the top of the escarpment in full view of the neigbouring community.
We contemplated if this unusual event was a show of respect to the AmaZulu nation for the late King Goodwill Zwelinthini kaBhekuzulu, who passed away on Friday 13 March 2021.
"We will never know Mr Heinz, but there's a reason for this," Sakhile from Wildlife Spirit replied.

Heike Zitzer has been a part of the White Elephant family since 2009. We are sad to be saying good-bye to Heike who left at the end of January 2019.

The burgeoning number of elephant is always a controversial and sensitive subject within the conservation community. Control measures have been widely employed to limit the growth of elephant within South Africa, and by 2008 the rapidly growing numbers in the Pongola Game Reserve soon came under the spot light. With the assistance of the ‘Disney Animal Program’ seven elephant underwent vasectomies. Although this team had perfected the procedure there was little investigation into the long-term behavioural implications of this form of contraception.