13 Feb 2020

Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism Ms Philda Kereng stated that the total estimated number of elephants in the northern Botswana as of 2018 dry season aerial survey of elephants and wildlife in Northern Botswana conducted by Dr Michael Chase is 126 114.

Ms Kereng said the areas covered by this survey included; Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park, Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans National Park, surroundings of wildlife management areas and pastoral areas around Ngamiland, Chobe and central districts.

The survey did not cover Tuli areas and Central Kalahari Game Reserve, where small numbers of elephants were found, she said.

Minister Kereng told Parliament that ‘an estimated number of elephants born per year in Northern Botswana is 1 293 while the gestation for an elephant is two years’.

A total of 72 licenses were issued for the hunting season on September 3, 2019 to January 31 2020. From the total licenses issued a total of 68 elephants were hunted, she said.

The minister further stated that the hunting quota allocated for 2019/2020 season would not significantly contribute to the reduction of elephant population in the Okavango ecosystem.

In relation to the total estimated population of elephants in Northern Botswana, 68 elephants hunted account for only 0.05 per cent, which was relatively lower than calving rate of five per cent.

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks has a number of ongoing projects being undertaken to determine the impact of elephants on vegetation, rare birds and endangered antelopes, she added.

Ms Kereng also explained that the latest vegetation assessment was conducted in 2018 at the Chobe District and it indicated habitat loss, especially around large water bodies and water holes provided for wildlife.

“The impact of high elephant densities on rare and endangered antelope population such as Chobe bushbuck, roan and sable antelope conducted by Department of Wildlife and National Parks,” he said.

Assessing elephants on key bird species and habitats and mitigating elephant poaching and concomitant vulture poisoning through mobilising citizen scientists was conducted by Birdlife Botswana,” she said.

She was responding to a question from the MP for Okavango, Mr Kenny Kapinga, who wanted to know the elephant population in the Okavango ecosystem and the estimated number born per year.

Mr Kapinga also wanted to know whether the ministry had recently undertaken a survey to access the environmental degradation emanating from the excessive elephant population and how many licenses were issued in 2019, just before elections for the hunting of elephants. ENDS