Research on elephants plays a critical role in improving their care, conservation, and management, especially within fenced reserve systems where natural dynamics are often constrained. Establishing welfare baselines for wild elephants in these environments is essential for assessing their well-being and identifying stressors unique to confined settings.
For elephant conservation in Southern Africa we need to understand the management challenges posed by fenced systems—such as limited space, artificial boundaries, and human-mediated social structures—and how elephants respond to various interventions, from translocations to population control. Together, these insights support more effective, ethical, and evidence-based approaches to elephant conservation. Additionally, monitoring and learning from the reintegration of captive elephants into the wild further enriches our understanding of how these animals adapt socially and behaviorally, informing future rewilding efforts.
Elephant research spans a wide range of critical areas—from behavior, ecology, and welfare to human-wildlife conflict and conservation genetics—each contributing valuable insights that inform more effective and ethical management and conservation strategies.
The Southern African conservation landscape is unique in that wildlife is more intensively managed compared to unfenced systems. However, there has been limited research on how such management affects the well-being of free-roaming elephants in these settings. Researching the various effects of management interventions as well as tourism models, presents a valuable opportunity to support the responsible management of elephants.
Learn more about Being Wild in a Walled World
We have successfully reintegrated and rewilded two elephant herds on two reserves in South Africa. Our team monitored their progress throughout the transition from captivity to a wild system and found that their well-being improved once they had been released and were no longer under anthropogenetic control.
One management tool introduced in the past decade for aggressive bulls is the GnRH vaccine (Improvac), but its effects—especially long-term behavioral impacts on free-roaming elephants and their herds—remain largely untested in formal studies.
Our team has worked tirelessly to produce research outputs that would genuinely impact the lives of elephants. Our intention is to improve both the understanding of welfare of captive elephants, as well as of wild elephants.
Photo credits: (1) Auds Delsink
We have big dreams at ERT to ensure all elephants life the life they deserve and we need you help to achieve it. Supporting us achieve our goals goes beyond financial contribution, it’s about starting the conversation, spreading the word and ceasing support for captive facilities.
All support, big or small is deeply appreciated.
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