Elephants move into Eastern Shores
The animals are regularly encountered on the Western Shores and uMkhuze sections, but recently they are regularly found on the Eastern Shores
ELEPHANTS have taken up permanent residence on the Eastern Shores of Lake St Lucia.
The animals are regularly encountered on the Western Shores and uMkhuze sections, but recently they are regularly found on the Eastern Shores.
The park has approximately 100 elephants on the Eastern/Western Shores and another 100 in the uMkhuze section.
Chief Executive Officer of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority, Andrew Zaloumis, says elephants are naturally a huge drawcard for tourists, but visitors are urged to exercise caution when encountering them.
Visitors to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park must remain in their vehicle and sitting on the back of an open vehicle or in a vehicle with no roof and/or sides is not permitted owing to the dangers posed by wild animals, and in particular elephants.
Guests doing this will be asked at gates to get into their vehicles or be turned away.
Open cab vehicles will need to put a roof on and sides down before being given entry.
A reasonable distance should be maintained from elephants (50 metres) and guests may not get out of the vehicles or lean out of windows for any reason, including the taking of photographs, except for iSimangaliso licensed game drive vehicles.
Zaloumis says visitors who behave or operate any vehicle in a reckless or negligent manner, or in deliberate or intentional disregard for the safety of any person, species, specimen or property of whatever nature, do so entirely at their own risk.
Persons seeing such behaviour are asked to record vehicle details, take photographs and contact the iSimangaliso emergency number 082 7977944.
Tips when near elephants
• Slow down as soon as you see elephants
• Switch off the engine, sit quietly and enjoy the elephants
• Keep an eye on both sides and the rear of the vehicle for approaching elephants
• Make sure you can easily drive away from the sighting
• Allow elephants a clear path away from the area
• Give elephants space to move off the road before driving past them
• Retreat slowly if the elephants show any signs of unease or mild threat
• Give a musth bull (evident by dark, oily secretions on either side of the head) plenty of space (more than 50m); their testosterone levels make them short tempered. Reverse if a musth bull is in front of you
• If any elephant displays aggressive behaviour, such as rushing towards a vehicle, tusking the ground, throwing sand/branches at you or trumpeting loudly) always play it safe and retreat
• Never cut off or block elephants from the direction they are walking
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