Our Story
Who we are
We are a Save the Elephants Project working with the Association of Private Nature Reserves and National Parks within the Greater Kruger Ecosystem. We are committed to securing a future for elephants and the project represents one of four Save the Elephants (STE) projects. Together the STE projects span the primary African ecological gradients and provide a unique perspective on elephant movement patterns and habitat selection across the continent. The extensive ranging behaviour of elephants is being studied in the savannahs of South and East Africa, the thick equatorial forests of Central Africa and the deserts of West Africa.
Save the Elephants – South Africa (STE-SA), which is based at Tanda Tula Safari Camp in the heart of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, represents a long-term study focussed on the spatial distribution of elephants and their needs for survival. We are studying elephant movements within a substantial conservation area of approximately 30 000 km2 represented by the Associated Private Nature Reserves and National Parks within the Greater Kruger Ecosystem.
STE-SA is a registered Non Profit Organisation. We rely solely on donations in order to achieve this research.
What we do
- Track elephants with advanced technology to understand their needs and what motivates their movements
- Identify individual elephants to study population dynamics and cross boundary habitat use
- Examine the effects of elephants on key tree species
- Experiment with methods of alleviating elephant tree damage
- Engage with the public to share our knowledge
- Provide scientific knowledge for management planning
What are the issues
- Restoration of elephant migration routes now that fences are coming down
- Science-based management decisions
- Sustaining Africa’s largest concentration of big tusked individuals
- Seeking a solution for the coexistence of elephants, trees and people