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

South Africa released 11 formerly captive elephants onto wild reserves, and five years later their behavior closely matched that of wild elephants.

The study, published in PLOS One on July 29, 2026, was led by Tenisha Roos and Tamara Eggeling of the Elephant Reintegration Trust.

Researchers observed the elephants across four fenced reserves in South Africa, recording behaviors and measuring stress hormone levels from dung samples.

The elephants' behavior and stress hormone levels (fecal glucocorticoid metabolites) were similar to those of elephants that never lived in captivity.

The findings suggest that long-term captive elephants can regain independence and thrive in the wild, offering hope for conservation efforts in southern Africa.