Rebecca Jackman
FOOTAGE of elephants in Garden Route forests has been captured for the second time this year. No one "really knows" how many elephants are living in the forests and catching a glimpse of them is rare.
Jeannine McManus, researcher and field manager for the Landmark Foundation, said there could be anywhere between one and 30 elephants in the area, but she believed there were most likely five.
The images, taken on Thursday, were caught on camera traps set up around the area to capture "elusive leopards" - even more rarely spotted.
"The forest elephants are extremely shy, and therefore very little is known about them," said McManus.
The Landmark Foundation found the footage when they were alerted to one of the camera traps having been tampered with.
They're used to people trying to tamper with the equipment, and for that reason will not disclose the exact location, but this time they found the tampering was the handiwork of an elephant.
McManus said: "Fortunately, the camera was fine, but its protective box took the brunt of the elephant's interest."
The most curious elephants in the area seem to be females as the images, as with previous footage in January, show a female getting up close and personal with the cameras. McManus said they could not be certain if it was the same elephant in both instances.
This time, the elephant in question was "pretty curious" as it was found she had investigated three different camera stations in the area.
According to McManus, the footage will be used to assist in the conservation of the elephants, who used to migrate through a vast area and have just a small, isolated population.
"These animals need an enormously responsible management effort to ensure they survive over time."