{
  "id": 6542455,
  "title": "BOOK EXCERPT: The Great Elephant Crossing: Did elephant herds once rumble through the Karoo plains?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/book-excerpt-the-great-elephant-crossing-did-elephant-herds-once",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-10T05:20:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-10-the-great-elephant-crossing-did-elephant-herds-once-rumble-through-the-karoo-plains/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Julienne du Toit and Chris Marais traced an ancient elephant passage across the Karoo, revealing vanished herds imprinted on the landscape. The duo's quest began with a dream of finding a special ironstone hill on Springbok Oog farm, where a mother elephant and her baby were etched. The hill was near Carel Kruger's grave, a convicted money forger who was trampled to death by an elephant in 1791.\n\nThe friends first heard about the elephant etching in a 2005 book, and became obsessed with finding it. They searched for 20 years, with John Allen Biggs of Vrede sharing stories of elephant traces in the Karoo. The friends also encountered Adri Smit, who promoted the dryland, and provided pictures of Kruger's grave. With sketchy directions, the trio headed northeast from Carnarvon on the R386, looking for the grave and the mythical elephant.\n\nUpon reaching Springbok Oog, they were greeted by Karel Kemp, the farm's owner. Karel welcomed them to the property, which was known for its Dorper sheep, quiver trees, and dark dolerite boulders. He shared the story of how Charl and his father had planned to create a lodge for interested visitors, but Covid-19 stalled the plans. Dr David Morris and Dr Janette Deacon were regular visitors to the farm, and Deacon spent months mapping the etchings.",
  "summary": "Julienne du Toit and Chris Marais traced an ancient elephant passage across the Karoo – from Carel Kruger’s grave to Springbok Oog’s |Xam rock engravings – revealing vanished herds imprinted on the landscape.",
  "key_points": [
    "They discovered the passage on Springbok Oog farm, near Carel Kruger's grave.",
    "The farm owner, Karel Kemp, shared the story of Charl's lodge plans that were delayed by Covid-19."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The discovery of an ancient elephant passage across the Karoo reveals that the region's landscape still bears the imprint of long-vanished herds, changing understanding of the area's natural history.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}