News / Camp News

Elephant collaring operation at Pafuri

23 Jul 2009

Location:  Pafuri Camp, Makuleke Concession, Kruger National Park
Date:  18 July 2009
Observers: Chris Roche

Satellite technology has opened a whole new world with regard to understanding the finer details of animal movements. This has really revolutionised studies of both cryptic and wide-ranging species and a three-year project has now begun at Pafuri in the north of Kruger where 7 animals (4 bulls and 3 cows) were recently fitted with satellite collars enabling us to track their seasonal migrations into neighbouring countries in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.

One of these seven animals has already revealed some of his annual movements (see more here) and we will fit another 5 collars later this year to provide an even ratio of 6 cows and 6 bulls. These 12 animals we hope will then help us understand the importance of the water resources of the Makuleke area to these and other animals during the dry season and also illuminate where they move to in the wet season: is it into Zimbabwe and its Gonarezhou National Park, neighbouring Limpopo National Park in Mozambique, South Africa's Kruger National Park or community lands in all three of these countries?

Understanding these movements will allow us to answer critical questions such as:
1) how to design an ecological sustainable contiguous transfrontier conservation area that links all three countries,
2) how to manage human-elephant conflict in the community areas adjacent to the parks, and
3) how best to manage a growing elephant population and its inevitable influence on vegetation composition and structure.

There have been many and varied contributors to this project and it would not have been possible without the goodwill of the Makuleke Community, the generous and professional assistance of the Kruger National Park and SANParks at both a national and local level, the commitment of ConservAfrica, the scientific expertise of Save the Elephants Transboundary Project and also the various funders of considerable costs such as satellite collars, helicopter time, immobilisation drugs and veterinary time.

Watch a short video clip of part of the process on our Wildlife at Wilderness Facebook page here. 

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