Human activity threatens survival of desert elephants

Desert elephants from the arid lands of Kunene Region in northern Namibia are battling for their survival as a combination of human-caused mortality, which accounts for over half of the adult deaths, and a distressing lack of successful calf survival plunges their population into a critical state.

A recent study by Desert Elephant Conservation reveals the hardships these majestic creatures endure in their struggle for survival in the Hoarusib, Hoanib, and Uniab River drainages.

According to researchers Laura Brown and Rob Ramey, livestock grazing and intolerance by some pastoralists have contributed to the decline.

"The Hoarusib is a different situation due to the fact that livestock grazing overlaps most of the elephants' range. Until the recent incorporation of conservancies, many people along the upper Hoarusib River were not vested in conservation," the report said.

"Hence, elephants would be found dead downriver with bullets in them (from being shot in the gut so they would die elsewhere). An ongoing concern has been a minority of intolerant pastoralists and others not vested in conservation or tourism activities," it added.

Human intervention has a profound impact on the elephant population, leading to increased adult mortality, disruption of the natural reproductive cycle, and prevention of population recovery. It also exacerbates high calf mortality rates with over half of the newborns perishing within their first year.

Calf mortality in elephants is influenced by variable climates leading to droughts and food scarcity, the need for newborn calves to keep up with the constantly moving herd, and the challenges faced by young mothers lacking experience in calf-rearing, all of which contribute to higher calf mortality rates, the researchers said.

Prolonged droughts in the northern Namib Desert exacerbate food scarcity and hardship for the elephants, especially in the Hoarusib and Hoanib subpopulations.

The Namib desert experiences periodic drought due to its highly variable long-term climate, the researchers said, adding that while elephants are relatively resilient to droughts compared to other species due to their intelligence and adaptability in finding vegetation, it still affects their reproductive success and calf survival.

In the past, desert elephants had more freedom to migrate and access seasonal vegetation. However, the small elephant population, especially adult females with important knowledge, combined with habitat loss from human interference and the establishment of permanent settlements, has restricted their movement. Consequently, elephants have adapted by avoiding humans during the day, drinking at night, and resorting to crop-raiding under cover of darkness during droughts, the researchers said.

The dwindling number of breeding-age bulls is also posing a significant conservation challenge, with the researchers stating that if these bulls die prematurely or fall victim to poaching, reproduction could cease.

Furthermore, the risk of inbreeding increases with such a limited gene pool, while the issue is compounded by the fact that no male elephants from the highlands or Etosha National Park have migrated to the Hoarusib and Hoanib regions since 2009.

Namibia released an updated elephant management plan in 2021, which includes a moratorium on hunting desert elephants and declaring problem animals for destruction in the three northernmost rivers (Hoarusib, Hoanib, and Uniab) of the desert due to their critically low numbers, including accurately counted and individually identified breeding-aged bulls.