Oupoot to stay single? R5m plan officially pulled

A R5m private initiative to reintroduce a small herd of elephants into the Knysna Forest, aimed at ending decades of solitude for the region's last surviving elephant, Oupoot, has been formally withdrawn on 25 October.

- Wyndham Ewerts

This development follows a prolonged period of limited progress in discussions with SANParks, according to the conservation group, Herd Instinct.

The plan was intended to provide social companionship for the lone elephant known as Oupoot (also Strangefoot), a 55-year-old cow who has lived without other elephants since about 1990.

Jarret Joubert, spokesperson for Herd Instinct, said female elephants are deeply social animals that thrive within the structure and support of a herd. "After decades on her own, Strangefoot deserves the opportunity to reconnect with her own kind, but this can only be achieved with SANParks' active cooperation."

Lessons from a failed introduction

A previous attempt to bolster the Knysna population ended in tragedy.