Collaborations

EWB is a strong and capable organization, but we recognize the vital role of forming strategic alliances and partnerships with organizations and individuals who share a common vision and purpose, in order to reach a shared goal together and to achieve conservation at a meaningful scale.

Collaborations allow us to do more than we ever could on our own.
Ecosystems are fragile. Strong partnerships between EWB, non-profit organizations and other conservation groups are restoring and protecting wildlife corridors and the ecosystems elephants need to survive. The following ventures explain EWB’s investments, locally and regionally, in building alliances and supporting partners in an effort to find viable solutions and create a healthier world for elephants.

Okavango Panhandle Surveys

The Okavango Panhandle is the worst human-elephant conflict (HEC) area in Botswana. In this troublesome conflict zone, elephants are trapped by the Caprivi border fence and northern buffalo fence. The impenetrable floodplains of the Okavango River restrict elephants moving west out of the region. Within this 8500sq km area, the only permanent water is in the Okavango River, where many settlements are located. During the dry season, elephant herds run a daily gauntlet through settlements to reach water in the Okavango River. How many elephant are trapped in this region? What is the population growth rate? What management options are there to help relieve this compression?
To help answer these pertinent questions EWB collaborated with Anna Songhurst, a PhD student from the University of Botswana and Imperial College, London who is studying HEC. Together we flew 2 aerial surveys. The first survey, conducted in August 2008, yielded an estimate of 9000 elephants trapped in the Okavango triangle. In July 2010, the second survey was conducted and the survey results are now being analyzed.
EWB suggests that corridors be created to allow elephant to move out of this region. Corridors must be created along wildlife migration paths that meet up with the fence. Creating small gaps or openings in the fence will allow elephants to move into the Caprivi and Angola where elephant densities are low and relieve HEC along the Okavango River.


Reintroduction of Habituated Elephants into the Wild

EWB is collaborating with Roger and Jessica Parry from Wild Horizons Wildlife Trust (WHWT) to reintroduce and monitor previously habituated elephants back into the wild.
The first reintroduction occurred in 2008, when an adult elephant bull, named Damiano, was collared with a satellite collar and released from the Wild Horizons facility, just southeast of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Presently, the two organizations have been successfully monitoring Damiano over the course of two years, continually downloading and mapping his movements, while conducting visual ground checks, to ensure his safety and successful reintroduction. Largely due to Damiano’s successful release, in July 2010, EWB and WHWT fitted two more satellite collars on two other bull elephants, Jack and Rastus, to monitor their reintroduction and movements. The bulls were transported and released in Hwange NP, Zimbabwe.
This important project will shed some critical information on the reintroduction of elephants back into their wild habitat. Through this strong partnership, we aim to provide other projects with guidance on how to conduct successful elephant releases and information on how the elephants have adapted to their releases. We look forward to sharing the lessons we have learned about these three elephant reintroductions through a detailed publication.

Post Monitoring of Released Elephant, "Mary"
Elephants Without Borders is proud to be part of the post-monitoring team for Mary, the largest female in a herd of 9 elephants, that were once captured and found to be mistreated. The Zimbabwe SPCA (ZNSPCA) approached the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Honourable Minister Nhema, and officials from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (NPWMA) to discuss the dilemma of the elephants. It was agreed that the captive elephants would be trans-located and released back into the wild. The elephants were released in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe on Nov 3 2009. Mary was fitted with a satellite collar to monitor the herd.
To view or download the media release written by Glynis Vaughan of ZNSPCA,
Click Here

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