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South Africa: do wind turbines disrupt the behavior of elephants?
South Africa: do wind turbines disrupt the behavior of elephants? – (France 2)
In South Africa, wind turbines have been installed near the Addo Nature Park. The guides are worried about the elephants in the reserve.
Addo Park is one of the largest parks in South Africa, home to thousands of wild animals. Among them, hundreds of elephants, which have become the emblem and pride of the entire region. “There were only 11 elephants when we started in 1931, now there are over 600“, says the guide. But for some time now, he and his colleagues have been worried. Wind turbines have been built 10 km from the park by the French company EDF.
Infrasound
They would disturb the elephants. “Elephants use infrasound to communicate. For example, females call males via these infrasounds when they are in heat so that they can reproduce. But the noise made by wind turbines disrupts this communication“, explains Christo Boschoff, specialist elephant guide. “If disturbed too much, they may become aggressive and fight.“, also notes guide Joe Manjoko.
Lwando Geju, the manager of the EDF Renewables wind farm, explains that the country is in shortage and cannot produce enough electricity for its inhabitants. To alleviate this crisis, South Africa is banking on renewable energies. EDF believes that it will not disturb animals or tourism.
