Celebrating 25 years of tracking elephants in Southern Africa! 🎉🐘🎉 Can you believe it’s already almost July?? Before the year runs away with us, we are taking the time to celebrate Elephants Alive’s milestone of 25 years tracking collared elephants! Stay tuned for upcoming posts, videos & interviews about our journey since pioneering the deployment of elephant tracking collars in the Timbavati in 1998. If you have been following us since the early days of Elephants Alive, please do share any anecdotes, facts, pictures or videos with us! Via DM or email to: [email protected] _______________________⁠ 📸 & 📽️ @aldridgephoto | @kendrick.mike | @kevinmaclaughlin | @douda_bis #milestones #savetheelephants #tusker #elephantsofinstagram #elephantphotography #southafrica #saveourspecies #saveourplanet #africa #naturelovers #elephantconservation #elephanttracking #gentlegiants #collaringforcoexistence #wildliferesearch #africanelephant #elephantrescue #gpscollar #gpstracker

Human-elephant conflict occurs everywhere… our bees came to the rescue once again, to protect both elephants and people. Elephants Alive donated and installed 2 beehives to protect these water tanks from cheeky elephants ripping out & destroying the pipes! This has wasted a lot of water in the past and left the camp without water for weeks. 🐘🐝 The beehive installation is part of a research project, testing the deterrence effect of bee pheromones. Previous attempts of placing branches and rocks to stop the elephants have not worked very well. This is a pilot project to see if this method can be used by other lodges and homes to protect what is often their only water source! So far, the hives are happy & healthy, and no elephants have been near the tanks! Not to worry, in this region the elephants have plenty of other natural water sources to quench their thirst! 🐘💦 _______________________⁠ 📸 @elephantsalive | @klopperleandri | @tfafrica #conservationinaction #wildlifeencounters #animalconservation #wildlifeconservation #elephant #elephantlove #conservation #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #africa #naturelovers #research #elephantconservation #southafrica #animallover #wildliferesearch #krugernationalpark #greaterkruger #beehivefence #beekeeping #savetheelephants

We’re happy to report… Tussle is getting better by the day! 🙌🐘🙌 The first 2 videos show Tussle 2 days after his treatment. His right hind foot was looking a lot better, but the swelling & limp on his left hind leg seemed worse… He’s been playing hide & seek with our tracking team so we struggled to relocate him for a while! Luckily, when we managed to find him again yesterday, his left hind leg seemed much better also!! We’re happy with Tussle’s progress so far and will keep monitoring him to make sure he fully recovers. As one of Kruger’s large tuskers, Tussle’s survival is essential for the preservation of the large-tusk gene. His movement patterns and teachings to young bulls who keep his company, are what keeps the African ecosystem thriving. With the generous donation from Mike & Liz Berry, we were able to treat Tussle’s wounds and give him a chance to recover from his injuries. You can help too! If you want to have a real & immediate impact on the lives of elephants, please consider becoming a supporter of the Elephants Alive FAF! Click SUPPORT in our bio & reference “Fast-Action” to allocate your gift to this cause 🐘 _______________________⁠ 📽 @elephantsalive #NoMoreFaffing #elephantrescue #conservationinaction #wildlifeencounters #animalconservation #wildlifeconservation #wildliferescue #elephant #antipoaching #elephantlove #conservation #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #africa #naturelovers #research #elephantconservation #southafrica #animallover #wildliferesearch #krugernationalpark #greaterkruger #tusker #savetheelephants

$50 can save an elephant’s life… Elephants Alive’s Fast-Action Fund exists so we can stop FAF-fing around & immediately intervene to save elephants in need! The Elephants Alive FAF pays for operations to save injured or snared elephants, as well as elephants who find themselves in dangerous situation and need immediate relocation to save their lives. If you want to have a real & immediate impact on the lives of elephants, please consider becoming a monthly supporter of the Elephants Alive Fast-Action Fund! Based on our previous experience with elephant emergency funding, we estimate to need a budget of roughtly R225,000 per year. That equivalates to just 20 people pledging $50/month to the FAF! Can you do it? Click SUPPORT in our bio & reference “Fast-Action” to allocate your gift to this cause 🐘 _______________________⁠ 📽 @elephantsalive #NoMoreFaffing #elephantrescue #conservationinaction #wildlifeencounters #animalconservation #wildlifeconservation #wildliferescue #elephant #antipoaching #elephantlove #conservation #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #africa #naturelovers #research #elephantconservation #southafrica #animallover #wildliferesearch #krugernationalpark #greaterkruger #tusker

A collared elephant bull was sighted with a severe limp during one of our field tracking days. Having received the necessary permits, @elephantsalive went out with the Wildscapes veterinary team to try find, treat and hopefully save Tussle! Tussle’s askaris made our job a little harder, not wanting to leave his side as the tranquiliser started to take effect. Tussle eventually fell asleep in thick bush, and in a rocky crevisse. It took the entire team’s strength to access his wounded legs. Once accessable, the vets cleaned two infected wounds (of which one was 8cm deep!) and used a system tourniquet to allow the antibiotics to work locally. The team also took blood samples to identify potential antibiotic resistance & to assess Tussle’s general health. Whilst expensive, this will give us a marked advantage should we need to treat Tussle again. It was only last year, when we had to treat a different injured bull elephant, in addition to several snared elephants… YOU, our audience so generously contributed to fund these emergencies! Operations like these cost upwards of R25,000 ($1250). 🚨 We are now starting our Fast-Action Fund, so we can stop FAF-fing around & immediately intervene to save elephants in need! The Elephants Alive FAF will fund operations to save injured or snared elephants, as well as elephants who find themselves in dangerous situation and need immediate relocation to save their lives. If you want to have a real & immediate impact on the lives of elephants, please consider becoming a supporter of the Elephants Alive FAF! Click SUPPORT in our bio & reference “Fast-Action” to allocate your gift to this cause 🐘 _______________________⁠ 📽 @elephantsalive Thanks to: Mike & Liz Berry | @ben10_muller Wildscapes Vets | @umbabat_private_nature_reserve | @motswari_life | @gerryheli #NoMoreFaffing #elephantrescue #conservationinaction #wildlifeencounters #animalconservation #wildlifeconservation #wildliferescue #elephant #antipoaching #elephantlove #conservation #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #africa #naturelovers #research #elephantconservation #southafrica #animallover #wildliferesearch #krugernationalpark #greaterkruger #tusker

Angels really do exist… if you’ve been following along, you will likely know Tussle. If you are lucky enough to have visited the Kruger Park, you may have even spent some time gawking at this impressive tusker elephant! This past week, Tussle needed our help. Whilst tracking, our field team found him in significant discomfort and a bad limp of his right hind leg. After discussion with the vets, it was decided his injury was too bad to leave unattended. The risk of loosing Tussle was simply too high. Thanks to @umbabat_private_nature_reserve and Kevin Evans, we received permission from the MPTA to dart & treat Tussle. Our team headed out, with logistical support from @motswari_life. This rescue mission was made possible because of Tussle’s special guardian angles, Mike & Liz Berry, whose generous donation meant that we were able to treat Tussle’s injuries! Operations like this cost upwards of R25,000 ($1250) per intervention… Stay tuned for our next post to learn more about how the rescue mission went, and our new project we are undertaking to save injured elephants like Tussle. For now, if you want to help, please consider supporting our work: click SUPPORT in our profile bio & use reference “Tussle” for your gift 🐘 _______________________⁠ 📽 @elephantsalive #elephantrescue #conservationinaction #wildlifeencounters #animalconservation #wildlifeconservation #wildliferescue #elephant #antipoaching #elephantlove #conservation #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #africa #naturelovers #research #elephantconservation #southafrica #animallover #wildliferesearch #krugernationalpark #greaterkruger #tusker #savetheelephants

Thursday Tales of Elephants Alive 🐘 Meet Spencer, who became part of our collared elephant squad in August 2021. Since then, Spencer has been showing some remarkable movements on our maps! He regularly embarks on a 600km trek between Klaserie Private Nature reserve and the KNP Letaba rest camp! These are highly remarkable movements from a young trailblazing elephant. His expansive range is a huge asset to our 25 year tracking database and shows the importance of open boundaries between protected areas 🐘 Want to see more of Spencer? Watch hiscollaring operation filmed and produced by @theglobalconservationcorps, linked in bio @elephantsalive _______________________⁠  📽️ @elephantsalive #elephantlove #Krugerthroughmyeyes #conservation #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #africa #naturelovers #natgeo #research #elephantconservation #southafrica #animallover #wildliferesearch #krugernationalpark #greaterkruger #tusker #saveourelephants

Winter is fast approaching in the Southern Hemisphere. In case you forgot your scarf, this ellie has got you covered! _______________________⁠  📸 @chadcocking #research #conservation #wildlifeconservation #wildliferesearch #elephant #savetheelephants #savetheelephant #pachyderm #elephantlover #elefant #elephantsworld #bekindtoelepharnts #elephantconservation #funnyanimals

Thursday Tales of Elephants Alive. As we are nearing 200 collared elephants, we want to share with you the tales of the individual elephants we are following with GPS tracking! Tussle is one of our most sighted elephant bulls. An emerging tusker of the Greater Kruger National Park, he is know to traverse large distances of 600km or more. Following breeding herds into the Kruger Park during his yearly musth in the rainy season, one of our favourite times of year is when he returns to the Private Reserves on the Western border of the KNP. Never shy of vehicles, and ever calm and collected, several close encounters with Tussle have been documented, each one just as special as the next. Watch as visitors Mike & Liz share one such special moment with him on a recent field day! _______________________⁠  📽 Mike Berry | 📸 @robin_cook_in_the_wild #research #conservation #wildlifeconservation #wildliferesearch #elephant #savetheelephants #savetheelephant #pachyderm #elephantlover #elefant #elephantsworld #bekindtoelephants #elephantconservation #thursdaytales #tusker #kruger

What do we mean when we say that Elephants are a keystone species? A keystone species is an organism that defines an entire ecosystem. This means that if the species were to disappear, no other species would be able to fill the ecological niche left behind. Best case scenario, the entire ecosystem would be forced to change in dramatic ways or worst case, cease to exist altogether. So what is an elephant’s contribution to the ecosystem? 🌳 One single African Forest Elephant is estimated to be worth more than US$1.75million in carbon offsets. This equates to a net increase in carbon capture of 9,500 metric tonnes of CO2 per sq km of rainforest. 🚙 This means that a single African Forest Elephant is effectively undoing emissions from 2,047 petrol cars for one year! 🐘 If the entire population is restored to its former number of 1.2 million —  their planetary services would be worth $36 billion. 💵 That’s the same amount proposed by US President @joebiden to slash U.S. carbon emissions in half by 2030! No need to invest Mr President @potus, our elephants will half the USA’s carbon emissions for you! Elephants are the architects of the African wilderness. We can’t afford to loose them, or the habitats they need to thrive. Elephant conservation is not an African issue, it is a world-wide issue. Investing in elephants, is investing in the world’s biodiversity. _______________________⁠  📽 @elephantsalive with contributions from @nicholashaller | @justin__sullivan | @kaylaz.wildlife | @douda_bis #research #conservation #wildlifeconservation #wildliferesearch #elephant #savetheelephants #savetheelephant #pachyderm #elephantlover #elefant #elephantsworld #bekindtoelephants #elephantconservation #carbonfootprint #BuildBackBiodiversity #BiodiversityDay @unbiodiversity

The beehives at the @elephantsalive hub are doing well, and our entire garden & elephant shepherd team is working hard at beekeeping & harvesting honey! 🐝During our training sessions, we learn how to keep hives and colonies healthy, by assessing the frame structures and checking if the bees have enough pollen to produce honey. 🍯As we roll out our beehive fences in Mozambique, this knowledge will be shared with Mozambican farmers, to increase both their crop production, protect crops from hungry elephants and supplement their income from honey sales! As we work to develop our beekeeping program, to include upskilling @theblackmambas as beekeepers, you can support our work by donating, click the link in bio @elephantsalive Thanks to Fanie from @theapiarybeekeepingservices for your invaluable advice as always. _______________________⁠  📽️ @elephantsalive | 📸 @anahighc #beekeepers #beekeeping #beekeeperslife #bees #research #conservation #wildlifeconservation #wildliferesearch #elephant #elephantconservation #worldbeeday

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Endagered Species Act. In those 50 years, the population of African savanna elephants is estimated to have decreased by at least 60%. Between 1979 and 1989, 50% of the total population was wiped out largely due to poaching. Despite these saddening numbers, elephant conservation has made significant strides to slow down, and in several areas, even reverse the decline of elephant populations. 
🐘 On this Endangered Species Day, we celebrate the wins of elephant conservation! Adapting to the needs of elephant populations across Africa, organisations are focussing on mitigating human-elephant conflict, and promoting change in the hearts and minds of people who encounter elephants on a daily basis. 🐘Elephants Alive, in partnership with other NGOs across Africa, works to ensure the survival of elephants and their habitats, and to promote the harmonious co-existence of elephants and people. _______________________⁠  📸 @chadcocking #research #conservation #wildlifeconservation #wildliferesearch #elephant #savetheelephants #savetheelephant #pachyderm #elephantlover #elefant #elephantsworld #bekindtoelephants #elephantconservation #endangeredspeciesday @endangeredspeciescoalition