20 February 2024
After I signed up for Highway Scholar’s Southern Africa Birding Safari (19 Jan-2 Feb 2024) I knew I might see tons of of Life Birds however didn’t notice there could be an added bonus. Our tour was within the KAZA area, the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Space, the place wildlife roams freely. KAZA is residence to the biggest inhabitants of African elephants on the earth.
We noticed elephants on daily basis within the areas marked on the KAZA map above. Here’s what I discovered.
African bush elephants, additionally known as African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) are an endangered species having gone from a excessive of greater than 2 million in 1800 to a low of 1,000 within the early 1900s. Now they quantity about 45,000 however are threatened by human encroachment, poaching, huge recreation looking (which prizes giant tusks thus eradicating one of the best genes) and local weather change.
Elephants stay close to contemporary water as a result of they have to drink and tub a lot. Local weather change brings drought. Drought kills elephants. This summer time there’s a drought in southern Africa due to El Niño.
African elephants eat bushes, leaves and even the cambium layer of bark. To chew this materials they’ve 4 molars which they change all through their lives till they lose their final molar at age 40-60. With out molars they starve, a typical explanation for loss of life. (This additionally occurs to white-tailed deer who starve when their tooth put on out.) Tusks are modified tooth and each men and women have them.
We discovered about elephant habits by observing them.
Elephants lived near us at Khulu Bush Camp. At night time they roamed between our tent buildings; I might hear them munching. At noon they got here out of the forest to the watering holes close to camp to drink and coat themselves with mud in opposition to the 97°F afternoon warmth.
The camp gives a pool of water and minerals enticing to elephants close to the eating space which is elevated and guarded by a boma. We might safely view the elephants as they got here fairly shut.
The females and younger elephants transfer to the watering gap in a matriarchal herd.
At first just one elephant drank from the pool.
Then the group got here shut.
Two days later a bachelor group confirmed up whereas an older male was consuming on the pool. The older male challenged them with a stern look. The youthful males backed off.
Hwange Nationwide Park, Zimbabwe:
On safari at Hwange Nationwide Park we noticed a male elephant hanging out with a lone feminine. She disappeared into the forest whereas he seemed to be aggravated that we confirmed up. Maybe he was guarding her as his personal.
Chobe Nationwide Park, Botswana:
From a pontoon boat on the Chobe River we noticed wildlife strolling the shore at Chobe Nationwide Park. In late afternoon a small herd of elephants got here to the river to drink and douse themselves with water. As this mom left the river we noticed her child nursing.
All these images have been taken with my cellphone! What a privilege to see African elephants so shut.
p.s. Regardless of the threats to elephants there may be one exercise that helps them. Wildlife tourism is the #3 business within the area & it prompts governments and folks to guard wildlife.
