Madikwe elephant neglect damned in Parliament

In a presentation to Parliament in June, Douglas Wolhuter, Wildlife Protection Unit manager at the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA), condemned the North West Parks and Tourism Board and provincial authorities for years of neglect and mismanagement in the province's Madikwe Game Reserve.

- Annelie Coleman

The NSPCA said in a statement that it had played a crucial role in exposing the escalating animal welfare crisis at the reserve, where 70 elephants had died of starvation since August 2024.

"It has been revealed that Madikwe now holds over 1 600 elephants, a number far exceeding its ecological capacity, which has led to widespread suffering and death. Despite repeated warnings and offers of humane population control methods, authorities have failed to act," Wolhuter said.