Oupoot, is that you old girl?

KNYSNA NEWS - It seems as though lockdown is truly turning nature back to what it was in the absence of man, as ever-elusive Knysna elephant Oupoot is believed to have paid a Sanparks trail a visit earlier today.

While no one is 100% certain as to the number of elephants that remain in the world-renowned Knysna forests, one thing is for certain - Oupoot is either the only one or one of the few that remain. While the old darling was commonly referred to as either Strangefoot or Oupoot as recently as November last year, she has since officially adopted the latter

Oupoot is believed to have visited some Sanparks infrastructure along the Outeniqua Hiking Trail in the Wilderness section of the Garden National Park this morning where bits of a hut were strewn along the ground.

According to Carel van der Merwe, Conservation Manager for the Wilderness section of the park, "the structures are too heavy to have been broken by monkeys. The dung collected a couple of times around the hut in question suggests it is the elusive Knysna elephant, Oupoot".

He further explained the surrounding vegetation in the area. "Evidence of broken bits around a particular hut along the Outeniqua trail was found by SANParks rangers who work in the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park. This is in an area where there is a combination of forest, fynbos, and plantations."

Oupoot was not spotted herself, perhaps proving that the old girl remains the master of hide and seek in the Knysna Forests.

The dung collected a couple of times around the hut in question suggests it is the elusive Knysna elephant, Oupoot.