06/03/2025
Absolutely disgusting behaviour from the NSPCA sharing unsubstantiated, slanderous claims, about those who are truly surrendering their entire lives to conservation!
I agree wholeheartedly with the following statement against the NSPCA! Whilst the SPCA does a great job the NSPCA has no knowledge of our wildlife, conservation efforts or reserves. Yesterday’s incident was the perfect example of a necessary wildlife intervention for the good of both Addo and Samara and the larger Eastern Cape. The unfortunate accident was just that unfortunate and the safe recovery of those elephants showed just how incredibly skilled and knowledgeable our conservation and veterinary teams are!
Good morning.
Thank you so much to all of you for your support and understanding yesterday over the elephant accident on Oliphantskop pass. Thank you for your level headed responses and messages.
Thank you for trusting the process and putting your faith in Addo staff to restore the situation.
Unfortunately there are some really despicable posts being shared on Facebook, all untrue and unfounded.
It's going to be really tough on Addo and Sanparks to face that unpleasant barrage.
It is common practice within the game community to donate elephant. The relocation and transport costs, which are huge, are carried by the new owners.
There is nothing underhanded about this arrangement.
As the elephant are now on Samara, we can turn to them for any future updates on their well-being.
( Should I receive any further updates as to their safe arrival I will share them here)
*Reply from Samara KAROO Reserve*
*We need to set the record straight.
Unfortunately this post by NSPCA is disgraceful clickbait profiting off a tragic accident to spread lies. It is categorically FALSE that Samara offers “hunting opportunities”. Samara Karoo Reserve is a conservation undertaking committed to wildlife reintroduction and land restoration, funded by photographic tourism. We are NOT a hunting operation. The truth is that four elephants were captured in Addo Elephant National Park this morning for translocation to Samara to establish a new population of elephants on a part of the reserve that has not had elephants for an estimated 150 years. This translocation is about expanding the habitat available for elephants to thrive. Samara is assisting SANParks by providing homes for elephants as the current population in Addo Elephant National Park is expanding beyond the park’s habitat resources. All the appropriate permissions were granted for this translocation.
Tragically the truck transporting these elephants had an accident on the Olifantskop Pass. The professional wildlife translocation team, veterinary team and capture and release team have been on-site to monitor the elephants and attempt to resolve the situation. The truck drivers’ and elephants’ safety has been the number one priority of all those involved. The on-site vet has confirmed that all elephants are uninjured. And luckily the truck drivers did not sustain serious injuries.
The SPCA Grahamstown inspectors visited the site of the accident and confirmed that all was being handled as it should. They also confirmed that this is the message that they relayed to head office NSPCA. Why the NSPCA is now spreading false and malicious statements about Samara is unclear. We have spoken to leadership at the NSPCA to urgently request where this false information comes from and the credibility of their source. They have still not shared this with us.
Anyone who has experienced Samara will know about our conservation ethos and the care we put into looking after the wildlife of which we are custodians. We care deeply about elephants, their conservation and their well-being. Our track record speaks for itself. We repeat — Samara Karoo Reserve is NOT a hunting operation.*
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15m4KSjFWR/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samarakaroo?igsh=dG9rYjB5cTJ0N3M1
𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓 𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝟎𝟔 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐈𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 Samara Karoo Reserve 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐀𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝. 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝, 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐂𝐀 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝟎𝟑:𝟑𝟎 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐒𝐏𝐂𝐀 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬.
The NSPCA is aware of an incident involving a truck transporting four elephants that overturned on Olifantskop Pass in the Eastern Cape. The elephants were allegedly “donated” from a SANParks reserve to Samara Private Game Reserve, who offers hunting opportunities near Graaff-Reinet.
➡️ Read the full story here: https://nspca.co.za/elephants-trapped-in-overturned-truck-in-the-eastern-cape/
This is a developing situation, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
The NSPCA extends its gratitude to the SPCA Grahamstown for responding beyond its area of operation to safeguard the well-being of the elephants.
Mixed animal practice in the Eastern Cape. Conservation, Wildlife, Equines and Livestock.
