THERE is no doubt about it, elephants are one of the very special species with which we share the planet.
They are by far the biggest creatures on land, they are highly intelligent, sociable, sensitive and even caring. They occupy a wide range of environments, from the jungles of Asia and Africa to tree savanna, woodland and grassland, and in the case of Namibia’s very special elephants, true desert.
The desert elephants of far northern Namibia have quite justifiably become famous over the years because of their remarkable adaptation to the desert conditions of the region.
Elephants are dependant on water and they will move up to 80 kilometres a day to find it. In the desert regions, depending on conditions and the season, they will stay close to the dry river beds that run east-west, carrying underground water and creating something like linear oases.
They will dig neat holes in the river bed, always just in the right place, to find water and will feed on the vegetation that flourishes along the river beds. Even under the worst conditions they will not move out of the area, and remember they could, but they stay right there, surviving as only they know how. They are altogether quite remarkable creatures.
About a month ago the Namibian government announced that it was considering selling off hunting rights to bull desert elephants. The mere suggestion caused outrage among conservationists around the world, including Namibia, naturally.
It is reliably estimated that there are just over 100 of these elephants surviving in that savage environment, and just 18 of them being adult bulls. The conservationists say that killing a third of that number (the government is considering hunting licences for six of the bulls) would be devastating for the long-term viability of the entire population.
Despite international protests, 10 days ago a client for a professional hunting operation shot and killed a bull elephant called Delta, one of only three bulls in the so-called Ugab Family.
Because of the general international ban on elephant trophy hunt imports, it is highly unlikely that the dead elephant’s tusks will leave the country and it is believed that the meat will be distributed to local people.
I have no comment, I’ll leave that to you. I do have an observation, though. Years ago we were on a camping trip through South West Africa, as it was then, and were in the mountains of northern Damaraland.
Out walking one day we were on top of a koppie that consisted of, so we thought, rocks and dead bossies, and found the spoor of one of the country’s rare and elusive desert black rhinos.
Despite many such trips into that region over the years we never did get to see either the desert elephants or the desert rhinos, but having seen that spoor and just knowing that they were there was enough, knowing that we had shared their space. Sad, isn’t it? Cheers…
Sources: Smithers’ Mammals of Southern Africa, Peter Apps, Southern Books Halfway House, 1996, The Besieged Desert, Mitch Reardon, Collins, London, 1986, and Savetheelephants.org News Service.
