On the 3rd of February 2011, the Transfrontier Africa team assisted the scientists from Save the Elephants, based in the APNR (Associated Private Nature Reserves), in the collaring of elephants to further research in the Greater Kruger National Park. This is the third consecutive year our team has contributed to this research and this year we managed to replace broken collars on two bull elephants and captured important morphometric data at the same time.
Park officials, Balule Conservation Project staff and volunteers help with the collaring
is appointed as the official elephant research authority within the APNR and holds the permits for the collaring of elephants for this purpose. This year, permits were issued for the replacing of defective collars only and several elephants were profiled for this purpose. The operation was co-ordinated by Dr. Michelle Henley of Save the Elephants and her team. Transfrontier Africa has been contributing to the photographic identification data-base for several years now and has forged close co-operations with Save the Elephants.
Craig Spencer and his team from TA assisted Dr. Henley and her team in this operation by providing Land Rovers weeks prior to the collaring operation in order to facilitate the tracking of the targeted elephants, thereby saving the cost of helicopter fuel. On the day of the operation, TA was there in force with three Land Rovers and 4 specialist staff members and equipment. We further provided substantial funding for the operation as we recognize the value of the research being conducted in Balule and the APNR.
Funding was generated through Transfrontier Africa, operating as the managers of Olifants West and their sister fund-raising organization called “Pennies for Ellies” (P4E) which is also based in the UK. Vivian Burns of P4E was quick to jump to the cause and raised over R 3 000.00 for this operation in just 24 hours! In total, R 30 000.00 was contributed by Transfrontier Africa and P4E, which helped towards the immense costs of this sort of research.
Following a de-briefing the night before, we met up with Prince, an assistant to Michelle, and collected the latest GPS coordinates of the elephants that we would be re-collaring. We all met up with the rest of the team, Dr Johann Steenkamp (wildlife vet), chopper pilot and security personnel at 05h30 and then proceeded to find the first of the elephants. The elephants were darted by 10h00 and the team moved very quickly.
Craig Spencer of Transfrontier Africa is appointed by the Olifants West Nature Reserve as their Warden and his team comprises of students from various universities and specialist game-rangers.
The Transfrontier Africa team continues to monitor the elephants herd dynamics and social structures within Olifants West on a daily basis, on behalf of Save the Elephants. This data boosts the APNR data-base and contributes to the management of elephants in Balule. Our volunteers are instrumental in this process and their funds have helped to collar and monitor elephants since 2007. Without the help from volunteers we would not be able to conduct these activities and assist existing scientific research projects within the Kruger!
The elephant wakes up and gets back on its feet.
Thanks to ‘Olifants West nature Reserve,’ ‘Save the Elephants’ and ‘Transfrontier Africa,’ for playing such a major role in the collaring and monitoring of these animals.
For more information:
www.transfrontierafrica.co.uk and www.afrecotours.com
