Situated just 30 minutes away from Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, Addo Elephant National Park is a haven where elephants reign supreme. As the third-largest national park in the country, Addo is celebrated not only for Africa’s iconic “Big Five”—elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards and buffalos—but also for its unique marine biodiversity, adding the southern right whale and great white shark to create the remarkable “Big Seven.”

However, it is the elephants, numbering over 600, that remain the true heart and soul of Addo. Visitors from across the globe flock to witness the parades of these gentle giants as they meander gracefully through the park, gathering around waterholes for their daily social rituals.

This thriving elephant population is a key focus of Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa, which supports sustainable conservation efforts through our Rewilding Land project.

Expanding Elephant Range Through Rewilding

The success of Addo’s elephant conservation has created opportunities to extend their range into areas where elephants have been absent for over a century. This forms part of a broader vision to rewild historic elephant territory and restore the ecological processes they once shaped.

Elephants, known as “ecosystem engineers,” dramatically reshape their habitats through feeding behaviors. As keystone species, elephants play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. Their foraging habits—such as uprooting trees, stripping bark and dispersing seeds—help open up dense vegetation, promote plant diversity and create habitats for many other species. Through our work to support the reintroduction of elephants to the newly-fenced Kabouga Section of Addo, elephants will help to revitalise natural processes and support biodiversity in their new territory.

Humane Solutions for Relief

Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa is addressing the opportunity to rewild historic elephant habitats through our Rewilding Land project. This initiative acknowledges that elephants, as keystone species, play a transformative role in ecosystem restoration. By expanding their range into areas like Kabouga, we aim to revive natural ecological functions and ensure the long-term sustainability of diverse habitats.

In the short term, interventions like translocation are a vital part of rewilding efforts. Carefully moving elephants to new, suitable habitats—such as the Kabouga section —helps re-establish their presence in ecologically important landscapes. This not only benefits elephants but also supports broader biodiversity and restores balance to natural ecosystems.