Central SA
Urgent intervention required as animals starve in North West reserve─── ZENANDE MPAME 15:36 Tue, 10 Dec 2024
An inspection of Madikwe Game Reserve in North West has revealed animals were dying of starvation.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) has called on authorities for urgent intervention, including any legal action to follow as a result of poor living conditions in the reserve.
Three elephants, including one calf, were found in such poor health they had to be euthanised by the reserve’s veterinarian.
During a flyover, the carcass of a giraffe was seen in a body of water when the NSPCA conducted their inspection last Tuesday (3/12). Two white rhinos in very poor condition were also seen from the air.
“The inspection stems from a complaint that animals, especially elephants were suffering,” said NSPCA public relations and legal liaison, Jacques Peacock.
“Our wildlife protection unit attended to that complaint and upon arrival, you could see signs of overgrazing and poor veld management at Madikwe. But outside of the facility is an abundance of nutritional vegetation, a stark comparison to what the reserve has to offer the animals within the confines of the reserve.”
Park management told the NSPCA elephant deaths had increased since August 2024. Madikwe is home to 1,600 elephants.
Elephants starving to death at Madikwe Game Reserve. Photo: nspca.co.za
According to Peacock, the latest known housing capacity was only 400 elephants. “For a long time, nothing was done to manage the population and overgrazing.”
The NSPCA has called for an urgent meeting this week with all stakeholders to seek solutions and bring forward a plan of action.
The National Council advocates prevention to be better than cure. “Somehow these issues should’ve been noticed much earlier so that the action that needed to be taken would’ve been much less strenuous on resources and the animals themselves.”
Deaths of elephants have increased at the Game Reserve. Photo: nspca.co.za
“This was not done so we are now calling for foresight and for people to take responsibility for what they need to do and what is expected of them,” said Peacock.
News 24 reports North West Parks and Tourism Acting Chief Conservation Officer, Moremi Lesejane said the parks have started working on a contraception program that would help cap the population but it would not reduce the current numbers.
In the end, this would require either translocation, hunting, or culling.
