Herd of 30 KwaZulu-Natal Elephants Guided to Safety Away From Community

• 30 elephants that wandered into the residential area hundreds of kilometres from their game reserve were safely guided home
• The animals were found near Esidakaneni, and their towering presence terrified residents
• A collaborative effort between NGOs resulted in the restoration and re-herding of the great animals back to the game reserve

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature and natural disaster-related incidents at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for seven years.

KWAZULU-NATAL—A herd of 30 elephants that wandered far from home was safely guided back to its origin.

Elephants wander from Tshwane

Good News Guy reported that the majestic animals, which came from the Mawana Game Reserve in Tshwane, travelled all the way to a community in Esidakaneni in KwaZulu-Natal, where they were found in a residential area. Their presence was a cause for concern for community members.

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Several NGOs, including the Humane Society International/Africa (HSI/Africa) and Wildlife Warriors Africa, combined forces to herd the animals back to their game reserve. The NGOs used drones to herd them back and were monitored throughout the journey. A helicopter was also dispatched to help facilitate the process of herding them back.

NGO relieved

Senior Wildlife Director for HSI/Africa, Dr Audtrey Delsink, said they were relieved that the situation was resolved without anyone getting injured.

"We were relieved that our efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and per cent potential harm to the Mawana elephant herd and community this week have been successful," she said.

However, she said the elephants could have been herded back to Mawana months ago when the NGOs submitted proposals.

Tour guide saves group from charging elephant

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In a related article, Briefly News reported that a tour guide displayed heroism when he saved them from a charging elephant.

In a TikTok video of the incident, the group was on a safari when an elephant came closer. The elephant suddenly started to charge towards them. The safari guide took a chair, yelled, and screamed at the elephant, dissuading it from its terrifying charge.

Source: Briefly News