[09:57, 07/05/2022] Pete Morkel : Morning Erik. Was just looking at an image of elephant in Botswana (I assume on the Chobe) and they are in shocking condition so perhaps the big "die off" is just around the corner?? [10:12, 07/05/2022] Erik Verrynne: Morning Pete. Some of them in that area are in very poor condition. The dry season densities often exceed 5 elephant/km2. It is amazingly that they still have calves with them, very unlike the story we are told that inherent population control will start when conditions get tough. I am currently 300km south of Kasane near CT1/2/3/5/5, next to Hwange. Their condition here is still great. There are plenty of waterholes with water and lots of browse. It’s still peak season. We usually see die offs here only around Aug/Sept/Oct. Those animals in Chobe can easily move south into better areas. Yet they don’t?? [10:20, 07/05/2022] Andre Uys: Agreed Erik, humans as cognitive beings continue breeding even in the face of famine, why would elephants behave differently? This is a long standing academic myth/propaganda [10:32, 07/05/2022] Erik Verrynne: The same problem that exist in KNP is in Botswana. In the EMP for SA ,the researchers acknowledged that the inherent population control mechanism has been determined by means of models in elephants and ends with the question “ why would it be different from other species?” It is different from other species and it is time to admit that the metapopulation theory is a myth. I believe there is an inherent or intrinsic driver in elephants that determine their thresholds to move or to stay. Central to that is water. They will withstand all kinds of landscapes of fear, including hunting, poaching and HEC if they have water available. The sooner we acknowledge that in our quest to open corridors, the better for people and elephants. [13:39, 07/05/2022] HO Reuter: We hardly do elephant translocations in Namibia. Yet there are crates, trucks and equipment available in Namibia to move over 30 elephant at a time. I’m sure some of this equipment (and expertise) would be / is available for hire.
