Veterinary work

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.

On 22 July 2014, we received a report that a young elephant was seen with a metal rim around its front right foot on the Pongolapoort Nature Reserve.
Two days later, Pongola Game Reserve Elephant monitor and researcher, Heike Zitzer, was able to locate the unfortunate elephant juvenile, near where the elephant had been heard ‘clunking’ around previously.
After venturing into the Bush to get a closer look, Heike was able to take some pictures of the elephant. Now we could see the full extent of the obstruction and possible injury.