Africa’s elephant populations are revealing an alarming and complex conservation reality: in some parts of the continent the great mammals are on the brink of disappearance, while in others burgeoning numbers are heightening human-wildlife conflict and straining ecosystems. A recent environment report highlights this stark dichotomy between regions such as South Sudan, where elephants have nearly vanished, and southern Africa — especially Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries — where numbers have grown so high that communities and conservationists are struggling to cope.
In the vast savannahs of South Sudan’s Badingilo National Park, once home to tens of thousands of elephants, only a single GPS-collared bull remains visible from aerial surveys. Fifty years ago, an ecologist estimated more than 130,000 elephants roamed these lands, yet today conservation experts say the population has plummeted to roughly five percent of that figure.
Local conservationists and international wildlife experts describe a landscape where civil unrest, poaching and habitat loss have driven elephants to the edge of local extinction. Even those animals that survive are isolated; the last known elephant in Badingilo has been observed moving with herds of giraffes in an attempt to find companionship and resources. Residents in nearby villages recount that sightings of elephants have become almost mythical, with many saying they have not seen one in years.
The plight in South Sudan reflects broader challenges across central Africa, where decades of conflict and limited conservation infrastructure have eroded once-thriving megafauna populations. Despite efforts by organisations managing expansive protected landscapes — encompassing hundreds of thousands of square kilometres — the region struggles with insecurity and resource constraints that undermine long-term wildlife protection.
In stark contrast, parts of southern Africa — particularly within the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area that spans Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe — are grappling with the opposite problem. Here, decades of successful anti-poaching measures and conservation investment have allowed elephant numbers to rebound dramatically. Yet this success has brought new pressures: elephants are increasingly coming into contact with expanding human settlements, intensifying competition for land, water and crops.
In communities near Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, residents report frequent and sometimes deadly encounters with elephants that roam beyond protected areas in search of food, particularly during prolonged droughts linked to climate change. Some locals argue that fences or even culling may be necessary to protect lives and livelihoods, while tourism operators emphasise the value of elephants to the region’s safari economy.
Conservationists and government officials are debating a range of interventions, from relocating excess elephants to controlled hunting programmes aimed at generating income for communities. Yet each option carries ecological and ethical questions, underscoring the complexity of managing a species that is both a conservation icon and a source of human-wildlife tension.
Experts warn that Africa’s elephant dilemma — where too few animals in some landscapes and too many in others — reflects broader environmental pressures, including habitat fragmentation, climate change and the competing needs of growing human populations. As governments, local communities and international organisations seek solutions, the future of Africa’s elephants remains uncertain, with starkly different challenges demanding tailored strategies across the continent.
