12/08/2026
What would happen if South Africa brought back elephant 🐘 culling?
A new survey by Savanta commissioned by Humane World for Animals South Africa found that if elephant culling is reinstated, 60% of international tourists would visit a different country and 47% of international tourists would be less likely to visit South Africa, while 77% of South Africans 🇿🇦 believe tourism would suffer if mass elephant killing returns.
Elephants are more than a wildlife attraction. They are part of South Africa's natural heritage, support local livelihoods through tourism, and play a vital role in healthy ecosystems.
The good news? Humane, science-based alternatives already exist. For more than 25 years, together with the University of Pretoria's , Humane World for Animals South Africa has helped pioneer non-lethal elephant management solutions, including immunocontraception, which has been successfully used on 50 reserves across the country.
This 🐘, let's choose coexistence and humane alternatives over killing and protect the future of South Africa's elephants.
💙 Stand with elephants.
See more here:https://www.humaneworld.org/sites/default/files/docs/HWA-Savanta-Poll-Report-Final-World-Elephant-Day-12-August-2026.pdf
SATSA ATTA - African Travel & Tourism Association Department of Tourism Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment SA Tourism Update Online