The elephants of the Southern Cape once formed an integral part of the ecology of the area - they roamed and fed on the grasslands and fynbos when water was plentiful, and delved deep into the forests when the dry seasons came. Their migrations followed well-traveled corridors, and older residents and visitors often tell of seeing them crossing the road at Harkerville and the Garden of Eden - a mere 5 kilometres from where the Knysna Elephant Park stands today.
But, with the great fire of 1869, along with heavy poaching and uncontrolled logging, the noble herds of yesteryear have all but died off. Today, only three elephants are known to be living wild in the area, and they have retreated deep into the forest where they have hidden themselves from man and his destructive ways.
At the Knysna Elephant Park our mission is to provide education and create an awareness of the plight of the elephants, and, by highlighting their plight, to show the world why conservation of our natural resources is vitally important to our survival.
But the elephants, like every species on earth, do not live alone - they depend on the vegetation that surrounds them for food, shelter and even for entertainment. The following information will give you an important insight into the vegetation that is found on and around the Knysna Elephant Park.
(Information extracted - with permission- from The Knysna Community Guide’s Training Manual by Martin Hatchuel)
