Animal Conservation

I have been lucky enough to spend the last 6 weeks in Botswana and thought I might share my wild animal experiences with you!

I met and worked with two amazing charities:

Predator Conservation Trust, http://www.bpctrust.org/

The Botswana Predator Conservation Trust (BPCT) is one of the longest running conservation research projects in Africa. The goal of the BPCT is to preserve Africa's large predators - African wild dog, cheetah, leopard, lion and spotted hyena - and their habitats, using scientific inquiry to better understand the behaviours and communication systems of these animals.

African Wild Dogs

The African wild dog, also known as the hunting dog, is a vanishing species in East Africa. Field studies have shown that this wild dog is a highly intelligent and social animal and unfortunately is one of the most endangered carnivores in the world.

The African Wild Dog is the most social member of the dog family, one of the few mammals who takes care of its old, sick and disabled. They lick the mouth of an alpha animal, displaying the juvenile behaviour that caused adults to regurgitate food. Submission is indicated by exposing their bellies and throats to a dominant dog. Pups are the centre of attention for the next few months. All of the pack members take part in their care and feeding until they are old enough to hunt. One or two adults stay at the den to protect the pups while the others hunt. The pack hunts cooperatively.  Wild dogs are only carnivorous species to allow their young to feed first. The adults wait until the pups are finished before they will feed. The entire pack is involved in the welfare of the pups; both males and females babysit the young and provide food for them. Unlike many other species, the female offspring leave the natal group when they reach maturity, not the males.

Bonds between pack members are continually reinforced at 'greeting ceremonies'. Before a hunt, African wild dogs greet each other with leaps,grunts,squeals,tail wagging. Unfortunately, these greetings place the dogs in danger as any illness in the pack quickly spreads to all members. They are especially vulnerable to diseases carried by domestic dog (e.g., distemper and rabies).

They start the hunt in an organized, cooperative manner. When prey is targeted, some of the dogs run close to the animal, while others follow behind, taking over when the leader tires. They can run long distances, at speeds up to about 35 miles per hour.

Wild dogs are unlike other large carnivores in that they rarely fight among themselves, either for food or dominance. They will care for old, sick or injured pack members, regurgitating food or licking wounds clean.

The Latin name for the African wild dog means "painted wolf," which aptly describes the colourful coat of dark brown, black and yellow patches. Wild dogs have bushy tails with white tips that may serve as a flag to keep the pack in contact while hunting. Their numbers have severely declined due to disease, loss of habitat and human persecution. There are fewer than 4,000 African wild dogs left in the wild, perhaps only 2,500. Human hatred and persecution have had the most serious effect, they are shot and poisoned by farmers and ranchers. Road kills and snares take a heavy toll on packs that leave protected areas. Rabies, introduced by domestic dogs, threatens the survival of the species in addition to lion predation. Even though they are protected in parks and reserves, wild dog populations have declined to the point that packs may no longer be viable. In some areas they are close to extinction.

 

Elephants for Africa, http://www.elephantsforafrica.org/

In January 2002 Kate Evans started research in the Okavango Delta. The research focused on adolescent male elephants and the transition from herd to bull life with an emphasis on research into the viability of releasing elephants into the wild from a captive environment. Recently, Elephant for Africa (EfA) received the honour of becoming a non-profit recognized charity.

They primarily focus on male elephants because less is known about them and they are most often involved in Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC). EfA focus their research in three main areas:

-Behavioural Ecology

Their long-term monitoring project asks the fundamental questions of what do elephants need, and why. By understanding this they can predict how elephants will respond to different situations and hence avoid conflict.

-Communication

Elephants have highly developed senses of smell and hearing, including the ability to produce calls that humans can't hear (infrasound). Through improved understanding, EfA aim to develop innovative solutions to influence elephants and prevent conflict, beyond fences.

-Health & Welfare

By obtaining baseline data from wild elephants EfA can speak with authority about what's 'normal' and so improve the lives of elephants in captivity and managed reserves.

African Elephants

African elephants are the favorite animals of many people around the world. African elephants are larger than Asian elephants. The males can stand 12 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh up to 12,000 pounds, while females are a bit smaller in the 8,000 to 11,000 pound range. The two main African elephant species are the African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta Africana africana) and the African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis).

Both cows and bulls have tusks. Both male and female African elephants have tusks which are elongated incisor teeth. Elephants use their tusks to dig for food and water and strip bark from trees. The tusks of the males can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh up to 100kg. Males use their tusks to battle with one another, but the ivory has also attracted violence of a far more dangerous sort. Ivory is highly valuable and has been used in carved ornaments and piano keys amongst other things. The trade of ivory is illegal today, but it has not been completely eliminated, and some African elephant populations remain endangered.

The trunk, an extension of the upper lip and nose is used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and also for grabbing things-especially a potential meal. The trunk alone contains about 50,000 different muscles. African elephants have two fingerlike features on the end of their trunk that they can use to grab small items, Asian elephants have one.

Elephant ears radiate heat to help keep these large animals cool, but sometimes the African heat is too much. Elephants are fond of water and enjoy showering by sucking water into their trunks and spraying it all over themselves. Afterwards, they often spray their skin with a protective coating of dust.

Social organisation in elephants is characterised by their closeness and intimacy and is divided into three forms. The most important grouping is the "family unit" which consists of two or more related females and their offspring. Male bulls are not part of this family unit but either aggregate together in bachelor groups or remain solitary.

A family can range from 2-50 individuals and they interact together in an organised and coordinated manner. Such interactions include teamwork, offspring care, group defence and resource acquisition which all involve decision making, normally made by a powerful "matriarch". The matriarch is a dominant female leader within the group who is the oldest and thus the wisest and most experienced. She makes the decisions regarding movement, safety and resource acquisition.

There is a large degree of altruism and cooperation which is related to kin selection within the family group. Young calves are often treated equally and are allowed to suckle from other nursing females within the group as well as their mother. Juvenile females act as "aunts" whose role is to make sure the calves behave by preventing them from running ahead of the herd and waking them up after a mid-afternoon nap.

African elephants, unlike their Asian relatives, are not easily domesticated. They range throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the rain forests of central and West Africa. In the late 1970's there were approximately 1.3million elephants, however mainly due to human persecution there are now only an estimated 400,000 - 600,000.

The trip was phenomenal and these charities undertake groundbreaking work in understanding the animal's behaviour to aid their conservation. Please look at the charity's website if you would like to find out any further information or would be interested in helping in any way.