“Safety Secured For The Last Free-roaming Elephants in South Africa”

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa – 20 November 2025

A historic milestone for South African conservation: the last free-roaming elephants have at last found safety and stability.

After years of living in vulnerable, unmanaged conditions, the herd now roams securely within a protected, compliant fenced reserve — marking a significant step toward long-term coexistence, community safety, and elephant welfare.

The Journey: From Introduction to Crisis to Rescue

The story of these elephants stretches back more than two decades. In 2003, twelve elephants were introduced from Phinda Private Game Reserve into the Mawana Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Over time, the herd flourished, but as fences broke down and land use around them changed, the elephants began to move far beyond the reserve boundaries.

By 2016, roughly two dozen elephants — divided into three family groups — roamed freely across unfenced farmland. What began as a symbol of wilderness soon turned into a conflict zone.

Collisions, crop losses, and fear spread among residents. Bulls were shot. Calls for the herd’s destruction grew louder. For years, the elephants lived under what was effectively a “suspended death sentence”.

Hope Restored: Safe At Last

Today, through the collective efforts of conservation partners, donors, and investors, the elephants are now protected within Loziba Wildlife Reserve, secured by a newly completed 66-kilometre perimeter fence.

The Loziba team collaborated closely with leading elephant behaviour specialists, conservation engineers, and fencing experts to create an environment that strikes a balance between freedom and safety. The fence itself is no ordinary barrier — it features a unique early-warning “whisker” system that detects contact and vibration, alerting rangers in real time while minimising stress for the animals. This innovation allows for both humane management and

rapid response to potential breaches.

With this system in place, the elephants are finally safe, content, and free from the threat of being labelled “damage-causing” or facing culling.

Gratitude to Key Partners and Donors

This achievement would not have been possible without the vital contributions from:

• AFA Fencing

• African Conservation Trust

• Capital on Mission- Community Boreholes

• Conservation Catalysts Africa

• Crew Foundation

• Elephants Alive

• Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW)

• Global Supplies

• Human Elephant Foundation (HEF)

• Humane World For Animals

• Kathryn Schulberg

• Rich and Nancy Robbins

• Social Employment Fund

• TruWild

• Wildlife Warriors Afrika

Our deepest thanks to every donor, all Loziba Wildlife Reserve’s staff and assistants; to every organisation, every community member and every conservationist who refused to give up.

Looking Ahead.

With this herd now secured, we move from crisis management to long-term stewardship: monitoring elephant movements, ensuring healthy gene flow, managing habitat and supporting community-elephant coexistence models.

This achievement marks more than just a rescue — it represents a new model for how South Africa can protect its last remaining wild giants, with compassion, innovation and cooperation at the heart of every decision.

Media Enquiries: For further information, interviews or images, please get in touch with media liaison Leticia Cox via mail@lenstraveller.net

*This press release is based on the investigative article “Fading Footprints: The Devastating Fate of the Mawana Elephants” by Leticia Cox, which details the herd’s history from introduction to present rescue