Contraception is another possibility being investigated at Kruger, but it will probably take several years before birth control techniques are fully field-tested and ready to be applied. Contraception remains expensive, and requires special skills for example, care must be taken not to inject the same animal twice. Although still in the planning stages, contraception could hold out some hope for smaller herds. Range expansion, culling, translocation, and contraception are all possible management strategies for elephants living inside protected areas. But answers must also be found for the great majority of the elephant range beyond man-made fences.
Hungry elephants rampage over farmers' land, destroying crops and sometimes killing people.
Traditional solutions for keeping elephants at bay such as shooting them or warding them off with fences or noise have been tried, and new ones are being explored. They must contribute to the economy in some way. John Ledger, Director of South Africa's Endangered Wildlife Trust, agrees. If elephants do not benefit people, they will only be seen as destroyers, and will eventually disappear. Inside protected areas, game viewing is a highly lucrative option, but elephant ranges elsewhere may not lend itself easily to tourism.