Page 32 - FWG Issue 11 December 2021

Nature

are elephants FarMinG in kruGer park?

The instinctive, genetic programming of elephants

seems to be transforming the landscape.

B y James c lar K e, p ho t o G r aphs B y m ary Bro adley

f you enter Kruger Park at Phabani
Gate near Hazyview and travel east
towards Skukuza, you reach, after 4km,
Ia crossroads. If you turn right there on
to the S3 towards Pretoriuskop, you’ll
notice a phenomenon that is puzzling
many scientists.

There are several marula trees along that
route, each standing alone and hundreds
of metres apart, as marulas tend to do.
They are sturdy, easily-recognisable
trees with single trunks that branch out
halfway up to support a dome-shaped
crown. The trunks have a mottled, flaky
grey bark and, in winter, their branches
end in characteristic finger-like stubs
rather than conventional twigs.
In February, a mature marula can produce
half-a-ton of highly nutritious sweet,
damson-sized berries full of vitamin C.
These berries are the basis of South
Africa’s great liqueur export, Amarula, a
velvety smooth cream liqueur that can
sell at hundreds of rands a bottle.
Elephants devour the marula berries,
sometimes to the exclusion of anything
else.
What is particularly noticeable along this
road is that many of the marula trees are
dead. They have been snapped off near
their bases, others have been severely
damaged.

What’s happening?
In September, having gone through
Phabeni Gate on our way to Skukuza on
the Doispan Road, we had a dramatic
glimpse of what is happening.

Two stationary vehicles were ahead and
a huge, fully grown marula tree a few
metres from them was being violently
rocked to-and-fro. The cars drew back as
the tree tilted over more and more until,
with much creaking and splintering, it

Fourways Gardens • 30 • December 2021