World Elephant Day 2023: How can we help our elephants?

Africa is home to two species of elephants: the African Savanna Bush elephant and the African forest elephant. These majestic animals are not only an iconic part of Africa’s natural heritage, but they also play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of their respective habitats.

In 2023, Africa’s elephants still face many serious threats like illegal hunting for ivory and meat, habitat loss and degradation, and human-elephant conflict. As with most wild animals, humans need to prioritise the conservation of the world’s elephants and their habitats.

In and around areas like the Kruger National Park, the issue of elephant management is highly debated. It has become a controversial issue, as some argue that in these specific areas, there are too many elephants.

“Elephants are our ecological engineers, they play an incredibly important role in maintaining our landscape. In an ideal world, we’d like to lean into the transfrontier parks initiative where they are dropping fences, as they’ve done between Pridelands and Balule. There is a lot of research that still needs to be done to see how all these things affect the elephants," said David Havemann, EcoTraining training manager.

As the battle for space is fast becoming one of the biggest challenges for both elephants and humans, the translocations of elephants in areas like the Kruger National Park is becoming one of the most effective solutions to safeguarding elephant populations and protecting the needs of surrounding communities.

“At EcoTraining], we are committed to providing our students with a deeper understanding of the natural world. We ensure that our students know animals like elephants are classed as a keystone species and play a crucial role in preserving and maintaining the biodiversity of the ecosystems they inhabit. It is up to all of us to find creative solutions in which we can minimise human-elephant conflict of all sorts and promote a peaceful coexistence,” said EcoTraining managing director, Anton Lategan.

There are many practical things we can all do to help secure the future of elephants on the African continent and around the world.

What can I/we do?

Raise awareness

Starting a course with an organisation like EcoTraining is a great way to educate yourself and others about the challenges faced by elephants and the importance of their conservation. Another way of doing this is by sharing credible information on social media.

Promote responsible tourism

If you plan to visit regions where elephants live, choose responsible tour operators that prioritise the well-being of elephants and the conservation of their natural habitats.

Engage with local communities

Support projects that involve local communities in conservation efforts. Encouraging sustainable livelihoods and offering alternative sources of income can reduce the dependence on activities that are harmful to elephants.

Combat the illegal wildlife trade

Report any illegal wildlife activities to authorities or relevant organisations. Support measures to combat the illegal trade in elephant ivory and other elephant parts.

By working together, we can all make a significant impact on the conservation of the elephant population and other endangered animal species.

EcoTraining is the pioneer and leader in Africa’s safari guide and wildlife training. The safari industry widely recognises EcoTraining’s credibility and standard of excellence in nature guide training. We offer accredited career courses, gap year and sabbatical programmes, nature programmes, high school and university study abroad programmes, custom courses and on-site professional guide training at safari lodges. All courses are run directly from EcoTraining’s unfenced bush camps in prime wilderness areas across South Africa, Botswana, and Kenya.