Elephants take up a lot of space – they’re the largest terrestrial mammals. They also insist on that rather dreary grey attire (haven’t they read Elmer the Patchwork Elephant?) and their skincare regime looks like it could use some attention. Despite these obvious shortcomings, there are a vast number of elephantophiles and they’re typically the species that captures the most hearts when first timers head out on safari. Perhaps it’s those long sooty lashes, the deep-rooted family dynamics, the ancient knowledge passed down through generations, or the contrast of their enormity and gentle demeanour. All these traits are true, but the value of the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) has roots that run deep into the African landscape.

They can be found in 37 African countries with two distinct species: the savanna and the forest – the names an indication of their habitats. The forest elephants have adapted to live in the dense forests of the Congo Basin and it’s thought that up to 30 percent of the tree species in the central African forests rely on elephants to aid seed dispersal and germination (WWF, n.d.). Their sheer size shapes their habitat due to the impact they have on factors such as fresh water and forest cover. As a keystone species, the presence of elephants, regardless of species, helps maintain the health and biodiversity of the habitat for numerous other animals. Not only are they vital to the ecosystems that they inhabit, but they are also instrumental in combatting climate change. The forest elephants remove CO2, which traps heat, from the atmosphere by influencing the shape of the forest structure, spreading seeds far and wide, and increasing the diversity, density and abundance of plants and trees. Estimates suggest that a single forest elephant can increase the forest’s new carbon capture capacity by nearly 250 acres – the same as removing a year’s emissions from 2,047 cars from the atmosphere (Kent, 2024).

As one of Africa’s best known and loved creatures, these pachyderms also create employment in communities close to wildlife areas where many livelihoods rely on the tourism industry. Research carried out by the World Wildlife Fund, University of Vermont and University of Cambridge found that elephant poaching costs African economies USD25 million per year in lost tourism revenue (Cambridge, 2016). Despite these weighty ways that elephants make the world a better place, their numbers are in decline. Today there are approximately 415,000 African elephants remaining in the wild – a huge drop from the 12 million that roamed Africa a century ago. The forest elephant is classed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered while the savanna is Endangered. Despite the international ivory trade ban implemented by CITES in 1989, the illegal ivory trade continues to pose a significant threat to elephants, with approximately 20,000 killed annually for their tusks during peak poaching years. However, China’s domestic ban on commercial ivory trade, effective January 1, 2018, has had a notable impact on reducing demand and lowering ivory value.

Loss of habitat and ancient migratory routes is also a major threat to elephants. As human populations continue to grow, they increasingly encroach on elephant habitats and migration routes. This leads to human-wildlife conflict as elephants threaten crops and livelihoods and come into close contact with communities. We support a variety of projects that look to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. These include conservation education programmes such as Lessons in Conservation, Elephants for Africa Environmental Club at Moreomaoto Primary School and Coaching Conservation. To help safeguard elephants from poaching, we have the Khwai Private Reserve Anti-Poaching team in Botswana. These anti-poaching rangers are kitted out with binoculars, two-way handheld radios and tablets for reporting sightings. Motorbikes also allow the rangers to cover even the inaccessible areas more effectively.

In and around the Makgadikgadi Pans we’re supporting large mammal migration initiatives such as Elephants for Africa’s (EFA) Elephant collaring project which saw 10 bull elephants tagged, allowing EFA to accurately monitor their movements and how they relate to feeding and other behaviours. This will enable EFA to build a comprehensive database to assess areas of ecological importance to elephants, places where they’re likely to come into conflict with people and the routes they use to migrate to and from the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. We also support EFA’s Living with Wildlife Strategy Workshops and Elephant Fencing Project to promote co-existence.

Human-elephant conflict is also mitigated through the Botswana Predator Conservation (BPC) Bioboundary Project and our Elephant Express buses. Our funding of these projects is important due to the high levels of human-elephant conflict in northern Botswana where there are numerous subsistence farmers. Crop raiding, loss of food security and income, destruction of infrastructure and even mortalities are all very viable concerns. The BioBoundary Project investigates the efficacy of plant-based airborne elephant repellents to help protect crops and infrastructure. The Elephant Express buses came to fruition in response to a steady increase in elephant numbers putting humans at risk of accidental encounters with the giants.

Multiple community meetings identified the need for safe transportation for vulnerable community members to keep them safe from the elephants. We provide three buses along with EcoExist and the Okavango Community Trust, with insurance sponsored by SATIB and the Botswana Insurance Company. Children from the surrounding communities now have safe transportation to and from school, and the elderly and community members in need are transported to local clinics during the school day. Neat solutions such as these keep elephants and humans safe, offering each a positive future. Yes, elephants take up a lot of space, but they take excellent care of it.

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