Our resident herd consists of our adult and adolescent female elephants and the youngsters. They are all guided through their daily activities by matriarch Sally who was the first elephant to arrive at the Park in 1994. Visitors to the Park are privileged to interact with this herd during the day, gaining unique insight into how elephants eat, play and socialise. Each elephant holds a special place in the herd, depending on their age and social standing. This matriarchal herd structure is unique to KEP – not many other facilities in South Africa have a group that is similar to the herd structure seen in wild elephant herds and includes matriarchs, mothers and daughters, allo-mothers and adolescent young males finding their feet! Our facility also offers the ability to give our older bulls more space, away from the matriarchal herd. In the wild, at a certain age, elephant bulls are kicked out of the breeding herd by the dominant female. These young males join up to form small ‘bachelor herds’. At KEP we try to emulate that natural progression by managing the males separately; and not forcing them to remain part of the herd where they would be dominated and uncomfortable.
Meet The Elephants
SALLY
Born in October 1989. Came to Knysna Elephant Park in October 1994 from Kruger National Park. She is 24 years.
Sally is the “Big Mamma” of the Park. She is the matriarch (leader) of the herd – she is gentle but stern and is always very concerned about the welfare of the other elephants. Sally has never had any calves and we can only assume she is infertile. She is however an excellent mother figure to the others.
NANDI
Meaning “a sweet thing” in Zulu. Born in February 1993. Came to Knysna Elephant Park in 2002 from the Northern Province. She is 20 years old.
Nandi’s name originates from that of the mother of legendary Zulu leader, King Shaka. Her temperament is similar to that of Shaka Zulu’s mother, who was known to be a very strong-willed lady! Nandi is the mother to Thandi, the first-born calf at the Park. She has been an exceptionally good mother.
THANDI
Meaning “love” in Zulu. Born 16 October 2003 at Knsyna Elephant Park. She is 11 years old this year.
As the first calf born at the Park, Thandi is truly our pride and joy. In the first month or two of her life she kept very close to her mother’s side. As she has grown up, Thandi has taken a particular interest in the youngest elephants at the Park. We believe she has been practising her mothering skills.
KEISHA
Meaning “favourite” in Swahili. Born December 2003. Came to Knysna Elephant Park January 2004. She is 11 years old.
Keisha was very close to dying when she first arrived. The holes in her ears were caused by the other elephants in a translocation that had pushed her away as she tried to suckle after her mother died. With a lot of love and care at Knysna Elephant Park, Keisha made a full recovery and settled into her new home very well. She is quiet and gentle and tends to be a loner.
SHUNGU
Meaning “patience” is Shona. Born 1 January 2007 at Knysna Elephant Park. He is 7 years old.
Shungu’s name was given to him because nobody knew exactly when his, Thambile, had fallen pregnant, so this meant patiently awaiting his arrival. He is a very naughty, playful elephant with a great sense of humour. As a little baby, he used to love chasing guinea fowl and he could often be heard trumpeting out in the fields as flocks of birds flew for their lives.
THATO
Meaning “love or beloved” in Tswana. Born February 2008. Came to Knysna Elephant Park in May 2008. She is 6 years old.
Thato is the youngest elephant at Knysna Elephant Park. Thato arrived at the Park along with Mashudu. Her parents were killed on a hunting farm in the North West Province and the authorities chose us to be her new guardians. As a baby, she absolutely loved being bottle fed. She would often take control of the bottle herself without anyone having to hold it for her.
MASHUDU
Meaning “lucky” in Venda. Born July 2007. Came to Knysna Elephant Park in May 2008. He is 7 years old.
Mashudu also comes from a hunting farm in North West Province where his mother suffered the same fate as Thato’s. He is a typical little boy – full of zest and energy, and he can often be seen playing with Shungu.
CLYDE
Meaning “powerful enough to be heard from a distance” in Welsh. Estimated to have been born in February 1993. He came to the Elephant Park in 2009. He is 22 years old.
Clyde comes from the Natal Zoological Gardens and was in need of a new home. Sally is sometimes quite hard on Clyde but this is understandable, as Clyde is at an age where he would be pushed out of the matriarchal herd in the wild, so that he can become more independent and form a bachelor herd with other young males. This is one of the reasons why Clyde, together with his fellow bachelor, Shaka, are managed separately from Sally and the other females.
SHAKA
Named after the great warrior Shaka Zulu. Born July 2001. He came to the Knysna Elephant Park in 2004. He is 14 years old.
Shaka arrived at the Park after he had been saved from a culling programme on a private reserve in the Mpumalanga area. When he arrived he was appreciably unimpressed with his new surroundings and was very hostile. However, it wasn’t long before he warmed to his new home and his new family and realised that we would love and care for him. He has a strong character and is a highly intelligent elephant.
