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Botswana’s government website seems to imply that many elephants migrated there from the north because they were much safer from poachers there than in Namibia,
by ffgjgf1 3y ago
Botswana’s government website seems to imply that many elephants migrated there from the north because they were much safer from poachers there than in Namibia, Angola etc. or rather that they used to seasonally migrate across the border but stopped because of the poachers. Now the risk is much higher but younger elephants got too used to living in Botswana. To be fair this doesn’t sound entirely inconceivable and in theory those elephants probably could be considered to be refugees..
Also I guess humans were hunting elephants for thousands of years keeping the population “in check”
* https://www.botswana.co.za/Botswana_Wildlife_Behaviour-travel/elephants-of-botswana.html#:~:text=Why%20is%20the%20Elephant%20Population,civil%20unrest%20in%20neighbouring%20countries https://www.botswana.co.za/Botswana_Wildlife_Behaviour-trave....
- wkat4242 3y ago> Also I guess humans were hunting elephants for thousands of years keeping the population “in check Did they though? I don't think elephant meat is eaten and ivory isn't really a super useful substance to African tribes afaik, it's more desired in the west.
- aksss 3y agoYes, it was eaten and is eaten. It's red meat. It's calories. Of course humans ate/eat it. The oldest evidence is 1.8m years old. According to wiki, in 2007 it seemed to be selling for like $5-6/lb in Africa.
- 7734128 3y agoHumans hunted mammoths to extinction. Probably similar, if leaner.
- arp242 3y agoMany (or probably even all) of the elephants hunted in Botswana butchered for meat by locals. And why wouldn't you eat elephant meat?
- Gravityloss 3y agoEU could have a competition for Namibia and Angola etc and pay for successful elephant protection. (This might already be in place.)