SANParks wish to manage elephant impacts on biological, cultural, human and stakeholder values. Kruger National Park (Kruger) is a large conservation area, almost 2 million hectares and comprising 37 landscapes that conserve significant biodiversity assets. Kruger forms the key focus of conservation in the lowveld region as well as the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area. The region includes a multitude of landscapes and land uses including rural communities, commercial farming, industry and private ecotourism initiatives. Several different stakeholder interests therefore impact on Kruger. This management plan, compiled in accordance and compliance with the National Norms and Standards for Elephant Management, is a supporting document to the Kruger Park Management Plan submitted to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in January 2009.

This plan describes the strategic context of elephant management within SANParks as well as key linkages to the vital attributes and management objectives of Kruger National Park as defined in the Park Management Plan. Elephants may impact on several of Kruger‟s vital attributes, affecting achievement of objectives supporting the desired state of this National Park. In addition, the current elephant population also reflects responses to historical biodiversity and tourism management approaches which inadvertently reduced the limiting factors, some of which are maintained and manifested to this day. The present diversity of expectations, and the need to reconcile objectives, will necessitate several immediate management actions, some of which may be reactive in the short- to medium-term. This plan accommodates such reactive management responses in the spirit of strategic adaptive management and associated “learning-bydoing”.

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