Cutting corners when protecting trees? Not a great idea …

An elephant reaches for higher branches. Credit Ruth Smith

An elephant reaches for higher branches. Credit Ruth Smith Elephants Alive Oct 26, 2023   Read the original scientific article by Robin Cook here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wlb3.01170 A unique solution to a unique problem? The conservation successes of the Greater Kruger Region has meant that its resident elephant population is doing so well, that their abundance is…

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Battle of the titans: Africa’s largest land mammal vs Africa’s large trees

An elephant pushing down a large tree to reach the canopy leaves. By Michael Lorentz

An elephant pushing down a large tree to reach the canopy leaves. By Michael Lorentz Elephants Alive July 27, 2023   South Africans have a peculiar affinity for large, iconic trees. The country’s Limpopo province is home to Africa’s tallest tree and the second thickest tree in the world. South Africa even boasts its own Champion Trees Projects since…

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Protecting Big Trees – and a new scientific paper

Protecting Trees

Robin Cook’s workshop Elephants Alive is running a number of workshops on “Protecting Trees against Elephant Impact” for landowners, reserve wardens and managers. Thornybush hosted a workshop, and presentations have also been given at the Tuskers Workshop in January 2019, and the South African Veterinary Association conference in March 2019. Dr Michelle Henley outlines the…

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Big Tree Monitoring by the Tree Musketeers!

Big Tree

Elephants Alive have been monitoring 3000 large trees since 2004, to understand elephant impact. This year we were very fortunate to have three wonderful volunteers undertaking the survey work – our Tree Musketeers. Isabel Wolf-Gillespie, her husband Lloyd, and her sister Raphaela spent 6 weeks assessing 3000 tagged trees for elephant, or any other, damage in…

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