The future of big trees and elephants in the Okavango Delta

An elephant damaged tree in the Okavango PIC: RONNIE CROUSE
An elephant damaged tree in the Okavango PIC: RONNIE CROUSE

As one travels through the Okavango Delta, one cannot but be awed by the beauty of the waterways, the large tree islands and the massive grey elephants as they wander from island to island, some with a family of youngsters playing in the water, or chasing egrets through the water.

Any visitor would think this is paradise and just what the “wildest parts of Africa” should be like! And they would be correct. Except for one basic thing. A large portion of these trees are dead!

For many reasons, too many to discuss here, Botswana has become the haven for elephant and for most keen lovers of the wilderness that’s great news – but in reality there is a price to pay for having the large elephant population densities in Botswana.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...

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