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Ivan Zhakata in Hwange National Park
CONSERVATIONISTS in Zimbabwe are fitting Global Positioning System (GPS) enabled tracking collars to eight African savannah elephants at Hwange National Park to discover how the construction of Gwayi-Shangani, a nearby dam may alter their movements.
Experts anticipate that the construction of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, less than 50km east of Hwange National Park has the potential to alter how elephants use the landscape significantly.
By tracking the elephants, the project led by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) aims to understand how the dam and other human footprints in the landscape are linked to the movement patterns of elephants.
Intended to facilitate real-time tracking, the collars will enable park authorities and IFAW to monitor elephant movements in the buffer area around the park.
This will also aid conservation and promote a peaceful co-existence between people and wildlife by mitigating human-wildlife conflict in the landscape.
Landscape conservation director at IFAW Mr Phillip Kuvawoga said it was always exciting when they see innovative technological developments changing how they work.
“This elephant collaring project could enhance our conservation efforts and inform future land-use planning in the greater Hwange ecosystem.
“Conservation interventions should be based on sound science, and by tracking these animals, we can forecast and map potential human-elephant conflict hotspots to guide management interventions”.
Ms Nobesuthu Ngwenya, national elephant coordinator at ZimParks, said recent studies confirmed that elephants spend much of their time outside protected areas risking conflict with humans.
“Better understanding of their movement patterns will help inform sound long-term management of the elephants,” she said.
Data captured on elephants will be analysed to better understand spatial movement, habitat usage and seasonal migrations over two years.
The information will generate insights into how elephants utilise the human-dominated areas on the periphery of Hwange National Park and its environs.
The elephant collaring operation began early this month and is expected to run for two weeks.
The operation targets six matriarch elephants, that lead family herds in the communal areas between Hwange National Park, Sikumi and Mzola Forest reserves and two bull elephants.
By fitting collars to the six matriarchs, the two organisations expect to track the movements of more than 60 elephants forming the family herds.
Simultaneously, the bulls will be monitored for their activities.
Online Reporter