Concerns are rising among conservationists about a proposed wind farm near the Addo Elephant National Park, home to 600 elephants, in southern Africa.
Conservationists fear that the turbines of the wind farms will harm the elephants.
This case is creating a certain amount of controversy in South Africa, because on the one hand wildlife must be preserved and on the other hand the project to build 200 wind turbines is essential to produce electricity in a country in the midst of an energy crisis.
A wildlife veterinarian told the press that he fears that the wind turbines will destroy “the wildness of the safaris”, adding that he is not against the turbines and proposes to locate them far from this area of high environmental and eco-tourism value.
Angela Stoeger-Horwath, a specialist in animal behaviour at the University of Vienna, warned that “there is a real risk that this will have an impact on their communication patterns” and their “stress levels”.
South Africa gets 80% of its electricity from coal and is unable to produce enough, so solar and wind power, which are still very underused, are serious alternatives.