Secrets of Mali’s desert elephants revealed by GPS tracking

Africa's most northerly elephants in danger from poaching and human elephant conflict

December 2012. Satellite tracking of elephants living near Timbuktu has revealed the secret of their survival in the savage conditions of Mali's desert. The elephants of Africa's northernmost population use over 32,000 square kilometres of the Gourma region in their epic quest for food and water, the largest range ever recorded for the species.

Their circular migration route is also thought to be unique to this population. The findings, published this week in the journal Biological Conservation, have profound implications for efforts to ensure the continued existence of these elephants.

"It's incredible these elephants have survived. They have a truly stressful life with the lack of water and food, and their giant range reflects that," said Jake Wall of Save The Elephants, Kenya (also of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver), who led the study.

9 elephants tracked
Global Positioning System (GPS) collars were attached to nine elephants in March 2008. Over the next two years they were tracked moving in a large circular arc that extended into northern Burkina-Faso. Twice they had to cross a major highway.

Desert elephants coping with extreme conditions
The Gourma elephants are a desert-adapted species of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) and frequently endure sand storms, water shortage, and temperatures over 50 degrees Celsius (122 Farenheit). A severe drought in 2009 dried out Lake Banzena completely, depriving the elephants of one of their key watering points.

Read on:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/mali-elephants.html