Story by Tichaona Kurewa
THE aerial survey to determine the number of elephants in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area which includes Zimbabwe has been completed.
The aerial survey, which began in August last year, seeks to determine the seasonal distribution of the elephants and other large herbivores in the region.
KAZA authorities shared some reflections on the survey this Monday.
“Getting to this stage of the survey is exciting for all of us. After meticulous planning and execution of this large-scale scientific project, it is befitting that we announce the launch of the survey results on the same day when flying for the survey began last year. We can now look forward to the implementation of recommendations going forward,” said KAZA Executive Director, Dr Nyambe Nyambe.
The survey is vital for planning purposes in the wake of an increase in cases of human-wildlife conflict, amid revelations that nearly 400 Zimbabwean lives have been lost to human-wildlife conflict in the past five years.
This is the first-ever coordinated KAZA Aerial Elephant Survey and a collaborative effort between Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and other supporting partners.
Statistics indicate that KAZA is home to approximately half of Africa’s savannah elephants, estimated at 220 thousand and spanning over five Southern African countries.
