Addo Elephant National Park: Annual elephant contraception exercise to take place
South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that the annual elephant contraception exercise will be taking place in Addo Elephant National Park's Main Camp section on 31 March 2023. For safety reasons SANParks kindly request visitors in the National Park to be cautious and steer well clear if they see the helicopter in the area.
The annual contraception program was implemented in Addo Elephant National Park in the early 2000s as a way to manage the elephant population without resorting to culling. The elephants are darted with tranquilizers from a helicopter, and then the female elephants receive the contraceptive injection. The process is carefully monitored to ensure that the correct dosage is administered, and that the elephants are not harmed during the procedure.
The elephant contraception exercise has been successful in reducing the elephant population growth rate in Addo Elephant National Park, and has been praised as a humane and effective way to manage elephant populations.
