Tag Archives: knysna elephants

History of the Knysna Elephants 2000-2018

Mike Hampton Posted on by

2000-2009 In 2000, the ‘Matriarch’ (about 60 years old) was seen by the late Lyall Watson. She was standing on the edge of the Harkerville forest staring towards the sea. This was the last (known) occurrence of an elephant crossing the National Road to Harkerville (Van der Vyver, 2014; Watson, 2002). The sighting by Watson meant that the ‘Matriarch’ was not dead after all, but was elsewhere, in places where elephants had not roamed for almost a quarter of a century. The ancient elephant pathways at Harkerville had beckoned again … Read the full article…

The truth may be bitter but sharing it is sweet!

History of the Knysna Elephants 1980-1999

Mike Hampton Posted on by

1980-1989 By the early 1980’s the Forestry Department noticed fewer and fewer signs of elephant on their daily rounds. It was decided to scour all the reserves in the hope of locating a number of elephants. In 1980, two surveys, six months apart, which involved 20 teams of 10 forestry personnel searching the elephant’s known habitat, concluded that there is only one adult cow and calf remaining. In March 1981, Coert Geldenhuys and Julius Koen, together with two trackers, followed the tracks of the cow and calf from Diepwalle towards Buffelsnek. At the end of the … Read the full article…

The truth may be bitter but sharing it is sweet!

History of the Knysna Elephants 1908-1979

Mike Hampton Posted on by

1908 In 1908, elephants were proclaimed as Royal Game. Thus they were protected from being hunted by all except the British royalty. Fortunately no further Royals passed by (Watson, 2002). However, it is a well-known fact that you cannot protect a species merely by declaring it to be protected. Because poachers usually come from the more ignorant classes, and quite often they will simply not have heard of the decree. Or if they are a bit more educated they will ignore the edict because they think they are clever enough … Read the full article…

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History of the Knysna Elephants 1497-1907

Mike Hampton Posted on by

The Southernmost Free Roaming Elephants in the World Based on an estimated 3 000 elephants that may have roamed the Cape Floristic Region in pre-colonial times, it is assumed that about 1 000 elephants occupied the Outeniqua-Tsitsikamma (southern Cape) area. Over 300 years ago, the Knysna elephant population formed part of a continuous population that ranged from the Cape Peninsula to Limpopo (Garden Route National Park: State of knowledge, 2014). To the nomadic Bushmen, who hunted them with poisoned arrows, elephant meat was a staple food. Elephant skins were hung … Read the full article…

The truth may be bitter but sharing it is sweet!

Knysna Elephant Park’s Birthday Video

Mike Hampton Posted on by

After sharing a special cake with Sally, matriarch of the oldest herd, Knysna Elephant Park wonderfully focused their 21st Birthday celebration on their staff, giving credit to those long-serving members who’ve helped make the park into the success it is today. “We would not be where we are today without the human members of our amazing elephant park family. To these five, we say thank you, for your loyalty and hard work,” said Dr. Debbie Young. From Love Knysna, well done to Jeff (18 years), Mac (16 years), Diana (15 … Read the full article…

The truth may be bitter but sharing it is sweet!

UK’s Daily Mail Features Knysna’s ‘Elephant Nannies’

Mike Hampton Posted on by

Above, a lovely video they made before Fiela, sadly, died. Hold your mouse cursor over it for Play button. Their nannying job entails keeping the babies clean, giving them bottles of milk, and keeping them busy so they don’t misbehave. So far, so ordinary, but these nannies don’t have any ordinary charges; their job is to look after and help raise orphaned baby elephants at Knysna Elephant Park in South Africa. The young women who do this are British volunteers who have given up their time to help provide 24-hour … Read the full article…

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Historical Talk on Knysna Forester & Scientist

Mike Hampton Posted on by

The Knysna Historical Society will be presenting an illustrated talk on Professor John Phillips, who was appointed in 1922 as the first Forestry Research Officer to the Knysna Forest. You will learn more about life at Deepwalls Forest Station in the 1920’s. This will take place in the Activities Room at the Knysna Library at 17h00 on Thursday 2 August 2012. His brilliant research into the Knysna Forest ecosystem earned him his Doctorate in Science from the University of Edinburgh. The talk will present his colourful ancestry, his years as … Read the full article…

The truth may be bitter but sharing it is sweet!

Knysna History: The Royal Hotel (1938)

Mike Hampton Posted on by

Captain Thomas Horn acquired this site from Charles William Dutton in 1856, and ran a small thatched hostelry, the St. George’s Tavern, here, which he enlarged into a corrugated iron structure. After the 1867 royal visit by Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, second son of Queen Victoria of Britain, the hotel was renamed The Royal Hotel. During this visit the Prince hunted elephant in the Knysna forest. The hotel remained in the hands of the Horn family until 1930 when Donald John Fraser purchased it, having leased the property from … Read the full article…

The truth may be bitter but sharing it is sweet!