Why Young Kruger National Park Elephants Moved From The Kruger Park To Pilanesberg Nature Reserve
“Mayafudi, look out!” The urgent shout by Mabarule (Big feet), a fellow-askari, was raw with emotion. The young elephant reacted instantly. At the last moment he jerked his leg out of the way – as if he could sense the direction from which danger came. The stray dart hit the thick trunk of a huge red bushwillow.
Mayafudi’s narrow escape occurred shortly after that sad day of Nkosikasi’s untimely death. His fate would have been very similar. To be made prisoner would have been as awful as a death penalty to an elephant with self-respect. To be sold in order to be tamed for the safari industry, one of the new threats for elephants, would have been even worse than death. An Elephant Witnesses A Remarkable Safety Measure Provided by Kruger National Park's Game Rangers
Initially only young Kruger elephants were earmarked for sale, mostly orphans left after culling. They were darted and loaded into strong wooden crates. Then they were transported in large, heavy trucks to destinations unknown.
Form young Kruger elephant to an old bull elephant
At the stage when Mayafudi reached puberty, when he started doing things on his own – outside the family circle - he became, temporarily, an “askari” who joined a small bachelor group in order to become a fully fledged bull. That was the stage when rangers also started removing older bulls in the dreaded crates.
After his traumatic experience, Mayafudi suddenly realised that capture (or worse) was a real threat to ALL elephants. He would have to increase his vigilance.
Elephants less fortunate than Mayafudi were captured, placed in even larger crates than those constructed for the young ones, and abducted in even larger trucks. Where were they taken? The bush telegraph rumoured that they were removed to the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve, about 800 km away in the North West province.
The actual story behind the story reached the Kruger National Park elephants in dribs and drabs. Due to the considerable distance and poor communication, it took a long time before they would believe what they heard. “Unbelievable, absurd, far-fetched, a pack of lies” were their initial reactions.
Their own experience told them that fights between elephants and rhinos were rare. Misunderstandings did arise, mostly at water holes. Impudent rhinos were tackled and shoved around. Sometimes they were pushed to roll in the dust. In extreme cases irate elephants used their tusks to kill rhinos or other cheeky animals. Confrontations at water holes, however, consisted mostly of intimidation and a lot of dust. Attackers too did not always escape injury.
The news from Pilanesberg, however, told an entirely different story
The rhino in this park went through trying times. Mutilated rhino carcasses were often found with broken backs. Many had gaping wounds where their horns had been ripped out. The young emigrants from Kruger National Park were blamed for this situation. They were labelled cold-blooded, ritual murderers. A Great Thirst In The Kruger National Park Leaves White Bones Of Carcasses Of Animals
Why? Both elephants and game rangers were puzzled. Wise advisers eventually determined what the reasons were – the absence of experienced, calmer and wiser bulls in Pilanesberg was the cause of the anarchy.
Elephants know that new urges, due to sexual maturity, often expressed themselves in aggression with younger elephants. That was the reason for the “askari” system. Vivacious young bulls were, in true elephant tradition, placed under the firm leadership of older mentors. Such guardians had to prevent youthful elephant energy from flowing into wrong, destructive channels. These guardians had no easy task. It required an iron hand to restrain the confused passions and urges of young adulthood.
In Pilanesberg this tempering, calming influence was lacking. Adolescent elephants that were taken from Kruger National Park and taken to Pilanesberg to be released, were left to their own devices and could do as they pleased. For some reason or other, rhinos were targeted and an orgy of murder ensued.
When the rangers eventually realised what was happening, an emergency plan had to be implemented. “Paternal discipline” was called for: the only source was the Kruger Park.
In order to capture older elephants for that purpose, helicopters had to be used quite close to the ground. Well-aimed darts had to be fired. Mabarule – Mayafudi’s friend who had warned him timeously - was also crated and removed in a huge truck, one of a fleet of oversize, super busses without windows, specially constructed for this purpose.
Mayafudi watched this process with a heavy heart. It reminded him of the death of his grandpa, Mafunyane.
But in the end the crisis at Pilanesberg was resolved. “Operation Discipline” was a resounding success. “The young rebel trees were bent to conform.”
In Kruger National Park, repatriation was no longer a threat.