South Africa released 11 formerly captive elephants onto wild reserves; five years later...

Rewilded elephants on Khamab Kalahari Reserve, who were observed during this research project (from left to right: Ngwedi, Mana, Michael, and Chikwenya) South Africa released 11 elephants that had spent years in captivity into protected reserves. Five years later, researchers found that their behavior was very similar to elephants that had always lived in the wild.The study showed that even after spending years under human care, the elephants successfully adjusted to natural environments. Their behavior closely matched that of wild elephant herds, providing important evidence that long-term captive elephants can regain their independence and live successfully in the wild.The research was published on July 29, 2026, in the journal PLOS One. The study, titled Investigating the adaptive coping mechanisms of rewilded elephants: A comparison of behavioural and physiological variables with wild elephants, was led by Tenisha Roos and Tamara Eggeling from the Elephant Reintegration Trust of South Africa, along with Brett Mitchell and other researchers.Tracking behavior and stress levelsTo understand how well the elephants adapted after being released, researchers followed 11 elephants livi...