Protecting elephants in Botswana is not a numbers game

Recent developments threaten the well-established status of Botswana as a successful conservation country. By Richard Chelin for the ISS today

First published by The ISS today

In September of this year, Dr. Mike Chase, director of Elephants Without Borders (EWB), issued a statement on the discovery of 87 elephant carcasses at the quadrennial census in Botswana. Forty-eight dead elephants were found in one day. The case became viral, with journalists, analysts and politicians struggling to discuss its impact.

In an attempt to address growing negative publicity, the Botswana government has launched its own fact-finding mission to investigate Chase's allegations. Local and international journalists were invited to participate. The investigation revealed that 19 elephant carcasses, six of which were killed by poachers, challenged ISW figures.

What began as a census exercise quickly turned into a game of political figures between the government and ISF within a congregation of media, scientists and international advocacy groups.

Although numbers matter, they may distract from current problems. That 87 or 19 elephants were killed, it remains no less than that elephants were poached in the delta of Okavango. Botswana's Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Unity Dow, said at a recent press conference that "A dead elephant is an elephant too many".

Botswana has long been praised for its successful conservation efforts – a status it is now likely to lose. Poaching of elephants is not new in Botswana. According to Brigadier Simon Barwabatsile, chairman of the country's national anti-poaching committee, an average of 80 elephants are poached in Botswana each year. The northern region, in particular, has become a hot spot for poaching because of the prevalence of pachyderms.

According to the 2014 Great Elephant Census, Botswana had a total elephant population of 130,451 people, or 37% of the total savanna elephant population. At the time, the country had the lowest percentage of dead elephants observed during enumeration.

It is this combination of the highest density of elephants on the continent, coupled with a relatively low carcass ratio and high poaching rate, that has allowed Botswana to become an unprecedented conservation success story.

The success of Botswana has also been attributed to an unofficial and controversial "shoot to kill" approach against poachers, which is considered acceptable although it is not a policy in itself. It was a strategy supported by former President Ian Khama. Shortly after the election of President Mokgweetsi Masisi, the anti-poaching units of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks were disarmed on the grounds that it was illegal for non-military officials to possess weapons of war.

The "kill to kill" approach has proved as controversial as it may have been. Supporters believe that it was a good deterrent and blamed the recent wave of poaching. For them, militarized anti-poaching strategies are needed to fight such crimes. The higher the firepower, the better.

At the same time, opponents of this approach welcomed Masisi's decision to rectify human rights violations allegedly committed as a result of unofficial politics. There are allegations that some rangers have disproportionately targeted foreign suspects from neighboring countries, including Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Specialists also pointed out that the militarized approach creates an arms race between rangers and poachers, inevitably leading to more violence. In addition, such an approach only targets the lowest level of illicit wildlife trafficking networks, leaving the higher levels – such as buyers, traders and royal pillars – largely untouched.

Prior to its recent investigation, the Government of Botswana attributed some of the killings of elephants to the conflict between humans and wildlife and human settlements. In recent years, this has caused growing concern for government officials as well as local residents, particularly in the Chobe area.

Existing measures such as the use of chilli plants, herding dogs, predator-free kraals and shade fencing have had limited success in deterring wildlife in populated areas. Elephants continue to destroy fences, crops and livestock, impacting livelihoods and retaliating against animals. As a result, local communities have become less supportive of wildlife conservation and are more likely to participate in the illegal wildlife economy.

The Government of Botswana pays compensation to the residents concerned, but this compensation is often described as insufficient. Monetary compensation as a long-term solution is inherently problematic. "We need to start thinking about constructive ways for conservation areas and wildlife to benefit local communities," says Annette Hübschle, Senior Researcher at the Global Risk Governance Program at the University of Cape Town.

The ban on hunting imposed in 2014 would have had serious consequences on income generation for local communities, and some supporters are fighting for it to be revoked. Alternatively, the government could offer different economic opportunities to residents.

The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime reports that instead of investing in a militarized fight against poaching, the money should be spent on improving the livelihoods of the community. For example, benefits derived from tourism should be used in ways that benefit local communities through the creation of socio-economic opportunities.

Placing more boots on the ground does not seem like a long-term plan. "A broader strategy," notes Julian Rademeyer, project manager of the International Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network TRAFFIC, "is a strategy that attacks transnational organized crime networks rather than s & # 39; Attacking poachers on the ground ". Poachers are easily replaceable because the profits generated by the illegal trade are quite high and constitute an attractive factor of attraction.

Rademeyer stresses that dismantling these networks requires targeting mid-level unions, ie those providing financial and logistical support. This can only be achieved through better intelligence gathering and investigation.

The fight between Chase and the government has highlighted important challenges for elephant conservation in Botswana. Coordinated efforts by the government and other actors are needed. Until then, the killing of elephants will persist, as transnational criminal networks continue to exploit the situation. DM

This article was published for the first time by the ENACT project. ENACT is funded by the European Union (EU). The content of this article engages only the responsibility of the author and can in no way be considered as reflecting the position of the EU.

Richard Chelin is a researcher, ENACT project, ISS