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<\/a>The research, published in Science Advances, used 713 population surveys from 103 protected areas from Tanzania southwards to calculate rates of growth or decline from 1995-2020. This covered more than 290,000 savannah elephants, 70% of the total in Africa.<\/p>\n
The scientists found that overall, populations had grown at 0.16% a year for the past quarter of a century. \u201cConservation has halted the decline of elephants in southern Africa over the last 25 years,\u201d said Pimm.<\/p>\n
The most stable populations were mostly found in large, well-protected lands that were connected to buffer areas. Elephant populations in buffer areas were more likely to decline as a result of less suitable habitat or being killed, but they serve a useful function, said Pimm: \u201cIt is about trying to restore a sort of natural dynamic, and natural dynamics can be brutal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Isolated and highly protected parks recorded maximum growth rates in some cases and large population increases. But with nowhere to disperse to, dense populations can damage the habitat or force difficult and expensive relocations. Large culls have also been used in the past to control unsustainable numbers.<\/p>\n
The mass death of 350 elephants in northern Botswana in 2020 may have resulted from the inability of the herd to migrate, said Huang. \u201cIt was probably caused by toxic algal blooms in the water and these elephants had no choice but to drink it,\u201d he said. \u201cThe ability to move and disperse is what creates that kind of natural flexibility in these areas to allow a stable population.\u201d<\/p>\n
The researchers also found that some areas in southern Africa still suffered severe declines from poaching, such as south Tanzania, northern Zambia and Zimbabwe. Poaching in east and west Africa, not covered by the study, is also thought to be high.<\/p>\n
Katherine Elliott, WWF\u2019s senior programme adviser for Africa, said: \u201cIt is encouraging that southern savannah elephant populations have stabilised and is a testament to dedicated conservation efforts. However, several populations have experienced significant declines and we cannot be complacent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cImproved connections across landscapes are essential for elephants and other species,\u201d she said. \u201cHuman activity is increasingly disrupting connectivity, including roads, fences, agriculture and mining. With increasing threats from the climate crisis, habitat connectivity is more important than ever so species can move away from places where conditions are becoming less favourable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Researchers have mapped potential connections between southern Africa\u2019s elephant populations, but planning ways of reducing conflicts between people and elephants requires careful consideration of local factors and are still being worked out, said Guldemond:<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t take care of the people in the landscape, then it doesn\u2019t matter what you try to do for elephants.\u201d Savannah covers almost half of Africa and is home to half a billion people.<\/p>\n
The total population of African elephants is estimated to be 415,000. There may have been more than 25 million roaming the plains centuries ago, but the expansion of human populations means such numbers will not be seen again.<\/p>\n
What you can do<\/h2>\n
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