Elephant population is healthy
ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK
The elephant population in Namibia has consistently increased over three decades, while most elephant populations in African countries have seen a decline over the same period.
Namibia's elephant population is estimated to be between 23 663 and 24 091, with an estimated rate of population increase of 5.36%.
This is according to Dr Malan Lindeque, former executive director in the environment ministry. He was speaking at a workshop of the National Elephant Conservation and Management Plan.
According to Lindeque the elephant distribution in the country has also expanded over the past 30 years, while contracting in almost every other country.
He said the elephant population in north-western Namibia is also expanding and has re-established itself in much of the historical range in the Kunene Region.
He said although poaching has significantly reduced and has not measurably impacted population numbers in the north-east of the country, trophy size has declined.
“This indicates an impact on the age structure of the male population,” he said.
Success story
Lindeque said elephant conservation in Namibia has been a qualified success story, but there are important and urgent matters to deal with.
He said successful conservation and management of elephants require structured collaboration between the ministry, other government agencies and rural communities.
Lindeque also pointed out that the Namibian elephant population is shared with Botswana, Angola and Zambia. This requires a collaborative approach at regional level, he said.
According to him Namibia has been recognised as the second most successful country in megaherbivore conservation, after Botswana, despite having a much smaller elephant population than Botswana.
Expanding range
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said the conservation and management of elephants in Namibia is a high priority for the ministry.
Shifeta said not only are elephants and people competing for the same resources such as water and land, but illegal killing for their ivory has also become a significant threat.
“Notwithstanding these problems, elephant conservation in Namibia has been amongst our greatest successes as a nation. While elephants have drastically declined in numbers and their habitat has been severely fragmented in other countries, we have seen a consistent increase in elephant numbers over the past 30 years and we now have more than three times as many elephants than we had at Independence in 1990.”
Shifeta also said that the elephant distribution range has expanded, and elephants seem to be in the process of recolonising their former range in areas that were not expected to happen in this lifetime.
WINDHOEK
The elephant population in Namibia has consistently increased over three decades, while most elephant populations in African countries have seen a decline over the same period.
Namibia's elephant population is estimated to be between 23 663 and 24 091, with an estimated rate of population increase of 5.36%.
This is according to Dr Malan Lindeque, former executive director in the environment ministry. He was speaking at a workshop of the National Elephant Conservation and Management Plan.
According to Lindeque the elephant distribution in the country has also expanded over the past 30 years, while contracting in almost every other country.
He said the elephant population in north-western Namibia is also expanding and has re-established itself in much of the historical range in the Kunene Region.
He said although poaching has significantly reduced and has not measurably impacted population numbers in the north-east of the country, trophy size has declined.
“This indicates an impact on the age structure of the male population,” he said.
Success story
Lindeque said elephant conservation in Namibia has been a qualified success story, but there are important and urgent matters to deal with.
He said successful conservation and management of elephants require structured collaboration between the ministry, other government agencies and rural communities.
Lindeque also pointed out that the Namibian elephant population is shared with Botswana, Angola and Zambia. This requires a collaborative approach at regional level, he said.
According to him Namibia has been recognised as the second most successful country in megaherbivore conservation, after Botswana, despite having a much smaller elephant population than Botswana.
Expanding range
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta said the conservation and management of elephants in Namibia is a high priority for the ministry.
Shifeta said not only are elephants and people competing for the same resources such as water and land, but illegal killing for their ivory has also become a significant threat.
“Notwithstanding these problems, elephant conservation in Namibia has been amongst our greatest successes as a nation. While elephants have drastically declined in numbers and their habitat has been severely fragmented in other countries, we have seen a consistent increase in elephant numbers over the past 30 years and we now have more than three times as many elephants than we had at Independence in 1990.”
Shifeta also said that the elephant distribution range has expanded, and elephants seem to be in the process of recolonising their former range in areas that were not expected to happen in this lifetime.
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