Elephant research in Chizarira NP, Zimbabwe

Well it's been quite a time since our last report! Our research team has continued tirelessly in the tracking of our collared elephants to monitor their movements and behaviour. This research is crucial because it not only addresses research gaps in the scientific community, but it helps inform parks management and other organisations in important conservation decision-making, and provides insight into human-wildlife conflict with surrounding communities.

Unfortunately, this is a rather difficult report to share. Two of our collared elephant bulls have been lost since our last report due to uncontrollable circumstances.

After following the movement of these two bulls over a period of several months and researching patterns in their movement and behaviour, one elephant became victim to a human-wildlife conflict case and the other was involved in a legal trophy hunt.This is devastating towards ALERT, but it only encourages us to work harder to achieve better protection strategies for such iconic, yet endangered, species. 

Did you know? Elephants use historical migratory trails that are mapped out based on food and water sources, and potential threats. The matriarchs of the herd will use their complex memory to continue to use the same historical migratory routes for decades, navigating the herd safely to richer feeding grounds as the seasons change. 

Elephant movements in Chizarira National Park is something that our research monitors in detail. Our research team worked hard to construct tangible evidence of their historical migratory trails when moving from one protected area to another crossing through communal land and safari concessions. Elephants have wide dispersal patterns and, being the largest land animal on Earth, also have large home ranges. Our research is conducted with the end goal of approaching the parties in charge to legally distinguish natural wildlife corridors as protected areas. At the same time, this will signficantly mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the Sebungwe region. 

The remainder nine collared elephants will be monitored closely to help determine whether different elephant herds use the same historical trails in the region. We have managed to secure a grant to collar another bull from a similar area to one of the previous bulls, so our work in tracking these elephants in the Sebungwe region can continue well into the future.

We're looking forward to updating you on our progress as we continue our work on the ground. 

Links:

• See our new website for regular updates on our work.

Dear Sponsors and interested friends,
Since we last posted an update on our elephant project, we
have been able to collar two more male elephants in the NorthWestern part of Zimbabwe known as the Sebungwe region
where our research team focuses it studies currently.

Based inChizarira National Park (1,910km2
) the research team
now follow and track 11 collared elephants (7 bulls and 4 cows)
with the aid of GPS satellite collars. We are able to regularly
track the collared herds both via satellite downloads onto our
computers, and on foot so that we can obtain herd
demographics.

Our data is shared with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife
Management Authority, specifically the Park Manager and Park
ecologist, and contributes to the National Elephant movement
map. From a wider regional view, the Elephant Project feeds
into the greater KAZA objectives for elephant conservation.

The map above shows how much movement there is in the
elephant population from Chizarira overlaying cases of HumanElephant-Conflict. Fortunately, there are no fences between
the large Protected Areas although between them are
subsistence farmers. This data collect by tracking and mapping the movement of these Elephants allows us to better
understand their traits and routes. A long term goal is to
distinguish and protect specific wildlife corridors, naturally
used by the animals to move between the larger protected
areas. By opening up corridors we can reduce human-wildlife
conflict which will be of benefit to both human and wildlife in
the long run.

Thank you for supporting this project.

Dear Sponsors and interested friends,

Since we last posted an update on our elephant project, we have been able to collar one more male elephant and now have one collar left to deploy on an elephant.

We work in the 1,910km² Chizarira National Park which is situated on the escarpment overlooking the Zambezi Valley in northern Zimbabwe, and have now collared 9 elephants (5 male and 4 females) with GPS satellite collars.  We are able to regularly track the collared herds both via satellite downloads onto our computers, and on foot so that we can obtain herd demographics.

Our data is shared with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, specifically the Park Manager and Park ecologist, and contributes to the National Elephant movement map.  From a wider regional view, the Elephant Project feeds into the greater KAZA objectives for elephant conservation which are: “to facilitate the development of an integrated land-use planning process to secure long-term ecosystem integrity and connectivity of KAZA’s elephant population; and to maintain and manage KAZA’s elephants as one contiguous population”.

On the 21^st September this year we were able to dart and collar a big bull elephant in the vicinity of the Kavira Forestry area which lies alongside the western reaches of Lake Kariba.  The bush was almost impenetrable but we were able to follow elephant paths until we saw three elephants ghostlike through the dense vegetation.  We crept up to within 30 meters and after much manoeuvring we were able to dart a huge bull in the upper left thigh.  The elephant moved off and we followed until the bull went gently down on his belly.  We quickly fitted the collar all the while keeping him cool by pouring water over his ears where thick veins allow warm blood to be cooled down.  We then reversed the anaesthetic drug and within 3 minutes he was up on his feet, and after getting his balance, he moved off and was soon lost in the bush.

We are keen to see where this bull goes as Hwange National Park and Matusadona National Park are equidistant from the collaring site.  Identifying corridors between Protected Areas is an important aspect of our research work.  Establishing the presence of corridors and lobbying to keep them open and functional will allow for genetic transfer in elephants ad other wildlife species including lions.

The map below will show how much movement there is in the elephant population from Chizarira.  Fortunately, there are no fences between the large Protected Areas although between them are subsistence farmers.  By opening up corridors we can reduce human-wildlife conflict which will be of benefit to both human and wildlife in the long run.

Thank you for supporting this project.

A total of 8 elephants have so far been collared in the combined unfenced Chizarira National Park and Chirisa Safari Area.  This Protected Area in the north of Zimbabwe straddling the Zambezi Valley (part of the downfaulted Rift Valley system) is 3,623km² in extent and comprises untouched bush for a variety of wildlife including 4 of the Big 5 (elephants, lions, leopards and buffalo).

Our project on elephants aims at obtaining population characteristics and also to monitor their movements.  The Protected Area (PA) is surrounded by peasant farming communities on the Valley floor and elephants from the PA do go down into the Valley and raid crops  There has been a number of deaths of people trying to protect their meagre crops.

By having one elephant in a herd collared we can advise the community of a potential elephant incursion so that they can take precautions to protect the crops such as fires, dogs, noise, vuvuzelas, and other non-lethal methods.

An important part of the project is to identify traditional paths (corridors) that elephants have used for hundreds of years between what are now designated PA`s.  Amazingly the knowledge of these corridors has been passed down by the matriarchs so that elephant today still try and use the same routes.  Sadly with a growing human population, these paths are frequently blocked by settlements and crops resulting in conflicts. 

Once a wildlife corridor is positively identified through monitoring movements of collared elephants, we can lobby to have the corridors opened.  This is a difficult process but as the PA we are working in is part of the greater KAZA TFCA which encompasses 5 countries covering 519,912km², and we are all looking at re-establishing traditional corridors for wildlife, there is a greater chance of success.  Our movement data feeds into the data-base created by the 5 countries so that eventually we can lobby with a united voice.

By having open corridors between Protected Areas, elephants and other wildlife species can resume their traditional migratory routes and have access to a greater area in which to roam.

ELEPHANT RESEARCH IN CHIZARIRA NATIONAL PARK ZIMBABWE

The African Lion and Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) carries out various management-based research projects in the 1,910km² Chizarira National Park in the north of Zimbabwe.  This includes work on lions and elephants.  Both species are classed as “vulnerable” under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 

Our elephant research has gone well this past year despite the shortage of manpower and financial instability.  We partner with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and WWF in our research and acknowledge both with thanks.  The support that we get from GlobalGiving donors makes the project sustainable.  Thank you to you all.

During the period covered by this report, the ALERT team collared two more elephants (1 male and 1 female) and we have been following their movements regularly using the GPS function in the collar. In order to observe the herd we use the VHF function in the collar and track them on foot using a directional aerial.  Getting visual sightings is important so that we can obtain herd demographics and feeding preference.

Overall, the research gives insight into population numbers, the demographics of the population (which in turn indicates whether the population is healthy or not, and what the survival rate is of calves).  We share this data with the park management so that they know what the elephant population is doing and whether they need to increase protection. 

In addition our data is shared with other elephant researchers working in the Sebungwe Area and the KAZA Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) which encompasses Angola,  Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe as a potential Conservation Area of a staggering 519,512km² in extent.  The importance of the TFCA is that wildlife can move between countries following traditional wildlife corridors which will allow gene flow and assist in relieving population pressure.