Namibia elephant conservation

Planet

The project aims to help conserve the desert elephant population by conducting research on the wild elephants and ensuring the peaceful co-habitation between local farmers and the elephants. The team actively promote eco-tourism which has a positive impact and reduces the environmental impact on the surroundings. The long drop toilets are environmentally friendly as they do not use any chemicals or water in their set up. The building and elephant patrol camp sites is powered by solar energy. Produce is bought locally and waste is minimised and each meal is cooked over a camp fire using local waste wood.

Prior to the 1900s elephants lived in the region but left due to over hunting and were reduced to small separated populations in the north western regions of Namibia. Therefore, when the first elephant herd returned to the region in 1995 the local communities were not used to living alongside elephants. This resulted in conflict as the elephants caused damage to their property in search of water. Many families in the desert solely rely on farming to survive and they need reliable water for their crops. Elephants cause great issues for the local community as they often damage their wells, pipes and water pumps in a search of water to drink. The team seeks to conserve the desert elephant population by conducting research on elephant movements, distribution and complying identification guides on herds and individuals. The elephant’s movements are recorded through their GPS position and mapped online which helps the team decide which farmland is a top priority for building protection walls. The research team are collecting information so that each elephant in the three herds in the region can be easily identified and are compiling and updating their identification guides.

People

The project helps to reduce the conflict between elephants and farmers by building protective structures around communal water infrastructure and creating separate drinking water points for the elephants. To further alleviate the problem of conflict between the farmers and elephants, the project team equip the farmers with the skills required to financially benefit from tourism in the area.

The project employees people from the local community at the base camp to help support the neighbours at the project. The project team runs educational sessions with the local community so that they can learn about elephant behaviour and live safely and in harmony with the elephants. The project team also promotes responsible tourism with the elephants in the region.

Volunteers are encouraged to buy handicrafts from the local tribes shops which are available in the local area and the team support the local economy in remote villages by buying any required additional food and drink items from the village shops.