Lost Young Elephant Has Been Found

The young female elephant which has lost its herd has been found but she ran away from the rescue team.

This was revealed by Boago Poloko of Elephant Havens Wildlife Foundation which has volunteered to search and translocate the young female to safety from human residential areas.

Poloko explained ‘we want to translocate her to avoid any potential danger she may pose to people. We managed to track her to the old rice farm in Boro. ‘

Poloko added that they failed to dart the elephant for transportation as she ran away from the team trying to save her.’ We will locate her again tomorrow. We hope we will be successful this time. Our plan is to transport her back to the buffalo fence to stop any potential danger she may pose to the public.’

He stated that the young elephant is older for them to consider putting her in their orphanage. ‘she is older to survive on her own. We hope that once she is in the delta she would be able to locate her herd. She is a female, therefore, bulls will be friendly to her so she would find other companions,'

He added that the young elephant is, however, looking thin probably having lost weight from the stress of being alone and not eating well.

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Has DWNP Ignored Private Researchers To The Sidelines In The Elephants Deaths Investigation ?

Some private wildlife experts and scientists are not happy of being side-lined by Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) in the ongoing mysterious disease outbreak investigation that has killed almost 160 elephants in the Okavango delta Panhandle.

However, Regional Wildlife coordinator Dimakatso Ntshebe was quick to refute that his department has elbowed aside private researchers saying: ‘our door is open. Everyone interested to offer us help is welcome.’

158 elephants have as of today (Wednesday) died from a mysterious disease outbreak in the panhandle which started  on May 11. The department is still awaiting sample results it has taken to an unnamed South African laboratory. Identification of the cause of the mysterious disease has so far remained elusive.  

Experts in the private space speaking with journalist Boniface Keakabetse have stated that, ideally, to halt the disease, the Government should have sought collaboration between researchers and other experts for the investigation.

An expert speaking in a condition of anonymity asked rhetorically: “What I can’t understand is why DWNP wants to handle it themselves. Why did they only involve the National Vetlab much later? Why not put together a team of experts in the veterinary, epidemiology and ecology fields from both government and the private sector.  History such as the COVID-19 outbreak has shown that such public private partnerships is most effective in limiting where applicable diseases outbreak.”

The expert explained that experience and a wider variety of experts assist investigators to appreciate more factors that may be involved and to make the list of possibilities as extensive as possible.’ It allows for determining a battery of tests that will give you the desired result as soon as possible.’

Further the expert  stated the veterinary and medical diagnostic process works in layers and on principles of epidemiology, especially when populations are involved. “With initial examination, you get a picture of all things that may be involved or linked to the deaths; number of deaths , species , age, distribution of location of deaths, other species involved, food, water, climate and microscopic post mortal changes and others.  You then form a list of various possibilities and take samples to test for that. Samples not only include samples of dead animals but water, plants etc. if all the possibilities test negative, you review your initial examination and look wider for other possibilities.”

Meanwhile the DWNP regional coordinator denied that any researcher ever came to their office offering their services. We welcome any help whether in form of expertise or resources.’ He explained that the only help they received was from someone who offered help to dispose the carcasses after the cause of the deaths has been identified. ‘However as the department we are busy disposing the carcasses at the moment’ Ntshebe stated.

 

‘Money is there for the operation’ Ntshebe

 Meanwhile the regional coordinator further denied that DWNP has run out of funds to continue investigating the mysterious death of elephants in Okavango panhandle.

Ntshebe said:’ it is not true we don’t have the money. What has happened is that the money in our DWNP account in the region is finished. But we have since requested for more funds from the Ministry in Gaborone. Those funds will come. This has not and would not affect anything. Our team is currently in the ground in Seronga undertaking the investigation.’

 

 

 

  

 

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Okavango Delta Poachers Now Target White Dehorned Rhinos

Two Dehorned white rhinos have gone down to poachers in Chiefs Island of Moremi Game Reserve.
The horn stubs were taken.
This follows the discovery of another white carcass at NG30 on Wednesday this week.
The government is facing an unprecedented spate of rhino poaching in the delta with more than 50 rhinos said to have been killed.
To control the scourge government translocated all black rhinos from delta and dehorned whites. There has been debate elsewhere that however, dehorning is not a deterrent for poaching as some poachers can even shoot dehorned animals in revenge.
Since the lockdown, the occurrence of poaching had gone down. Lots of poachers have been killed by antipoaching unit but it appears they keep on coming.
One source stated "these guys are residents there. There work in shifts and take turns to poach."
But Botswana this week sent a

warning to poachers that the country will never run short of body bags.

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South African Experts's Botswana Elephant Statement Misleading-Botswana experts

The statement reportedly uttered by respected South African elephant expert Ron Thomson linking Okavango elephant deaths to overpopulation is ridiculous and misleading, according to elephant experts in Botswana. since May 11, Botswana's  Okavango panhandle has been experiencing mysterious elephant deaths. Almost a month later, authorities here are still struggling to identify the cause of deaths. 

Thomson is a qualified field ecologist who has 58 years of experience working in Africa’s national parks and management systems. Yesterday a tweet by Johannesburg based Environmental journalist, Emmanuel Kolo quoted Thomson saying he ruled out disease as the cause of deaths in Botswana. ‘Thomson says what he had long predicted is now happening –deaths caused by elephant overpopulation.’

In Botswana, experts have not been amused by Thomson’s statement. A leading veterinarian stated: ‘that’s an oversimplification. Overpopulation itself does not cause death. It leads to stress in individuals which makes them more susceptible to disease. Its these disease outbreaks that cause death. Until we know what the cause of all the deaths is, we will not be able to say it is related to overpopulation.’

Okavango Research Institute Professor of Tourism Studies Joseph explained that while he believes Botswana is overpopulated with elephants however, he does not agree with Thomson.

Regional wildlife coordinator Dimakatso Ntshebe rhetorically asked why the elephants would die during the green season while they did not die during the bad drought last year. Ntshebe does not as well agree that overpopulation is the cause of death as Thomson states.

Ntshebe added:’ what we believe is that the deaths are caused by a disease and we are investigating. We have sent samples for testing in South Africa and we are waiting for results. We continue to take more samples every day and send it to the veterinary lab for tests. Currently, we have theories on what could be the source of deaths and we continue to sample’ he said.

Meanwhile, Ntshebe stated that more than 130 elephants have died. However other sources state that the toll is now more than 160. Ntshebe revealed that the intensity of the discovery of the new carcasses has decreased adding that however, they continue to record new cases.

 

 

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