The Life of INGANI
in Pongola Game Reserve
Re-Introduced from
Kruger National Park in 1982
When Ingani arrived he joined the two
resident elephant families who were
introduced to Pongola Game Reserve in
1997.
Elephant families feeding happily along the shore
of Lake Jozini
When elephants feed they change the
ecosystem so that others can benefit.
Ingani feeding on the roots of an umbrella thorn
Elephants prefer to walk their natural
pathways but man has put up fences
Most of the old elephant migratory roots
pioneered many of the road networks that exist
throughout Africa today
Ingani, the icon for Space for Elephants,
explores a way in which to expand the
habitat where he lives...
Let’s see what happens next..
Ngani considers using the subway to
cross the railway line
If he does he
will be
showing that
other
elephants
could do the
same and
thus create
corridors for
elephants to
‘migrate’...
Can Ingani walks through this subway that
is barely wide enough for his huge frame ?
About to enter the subway, Ngani flares his ears,
like a cat using his whiskers to measure how
wide the tunnel is – can he fit?
He’s in – evidence of his courageous and
adventurous character – what an icon!
He shows that
space for
elephants can
be created in
this way, linking
land across
highways and
railways and
thus reducing
the pressure on
habitat
destruction in
confined areas.
He made it!
Totally unmoved by anyone’s presence, the
gentle giant walks through the subway
The tunnel is no longer a challenge but a
new asset – his rubbing post.
Ngani is
loved and
enjoyed
by tourists
because
he is
gentle and
always full
of new
antics.
Ngani faces another linking land challenge crossing the railway this time over the top.
Ngani is 40
years old in
this picture
and set to
become a
big tusker!
Ngani becomes
a celebrity when
he makes his
appearance on
the front cover of
Wildside
magazine
Ngani loves living at PGR - feeling the heat
he knows just where to cool down.
Time for a collar change...
Ngani has been immobilized three times for a radio
collar change and once for an unsuccessful
vasectomy operation. Yet, he has never shown any
resentment towards the people responsible for these
interventions.
Ngani usually goes into ‘hiding before a
collar change...
...evidence of his memory
& intelligence.
...within 12 hours Ngani is back to his pleasant
and generous temperament...
Managing increasing elephant populations in small
reserves is a challenge – PGR responsibly promote a
well- researched vasectomy contraception program
Ngani’s vasectomy was unsuccessful so he is darted
every 6 months with a GnRH vaccine to prevent
him from coming into musth and fathering more
elephant calves.
This gentle giant has faced many losses during
his life in Pongola, but he loves his home.
Douw (in 1999) and Nkosi (in 2000) were killed by the
train traversing PGR.
Ngani’s mentors were shot by conservation authorities
or hunters - Joachen in 1998, Nduna in 2006 and Impi
in 2010 - because they kept escaping from PGR to
visit with other neighbouring elephants.
Ngani a week before breaking off a piece of
his right tusk
Ngani – in his
wisdom? breaks a tusk,
possibly in a
clash with
another elephant
bull. He knows
he has been
contracted with a
hunter to be
killed.
The right
tusk is
cracked
25 cm
from lip
and it is a
concern
that a
nerve is
exposed.
• Will the exposed nerve develop
into complications such as
infection and a root abscess?
This could lead to behavioural
changes including aggression.
• Will the split tusk break off?
• Is it be a good decision to sell
Ngani to be because of the
broken tusk issues and
because he is most accused of
habitat degradation and the
growth of the elephant herd
beyond the carrying capacity of
this small reserve?
Before he could be hunted his right tusk
broke of completely
On the day of the hunt the hunter decided his
tusks were still to small to kill him then…
Ngani’s broken off tusk was never found
It is suspected that his tusk broke off while
wallowing in the mud pools along lake Jozini
His broken tusk now poses no health threat.
What does the future now hold for Ngani?
Ngani bathing and wallowing in lake Jozini
Lets spare Ngani from being hunted and
reverse the decision made two years ago
Every sponsorship and donation to
save Ngani is urgently needed
Space for Elephants Foundation is a registered Non-profit organization (033303 NPO) and Trust (IT 398/02)
Bank details:
Space for Elephants Foundation
ABSA bank Pongola
Branch Code: 334-724
Account No: 4055718662