How much is Okavango Delta worth? By Mphoeng
Category: Botswana Elephants, Donors, Fund Raising | Date: Mar 20 2009 | By: elephantsofbotswana
The arrival of floods in our camp and seeing how much distance the water covers of the dry desert has left me wondering how much the Delta is worth.
It has brought life to a desert, some would say a miracle in itself and can we put a price on that?.
The arrival of so much fresh, water giving water into the Okavango Delta led me to question how much the Okavango Delta is worth. Economists may well have an answer to that, if they took on board the revenue it brings in from tourism, the jobs that it creates, and calculates how many people it supports and what it would cost the government to support if it was not there. But is worth really just down to money?
Let’s look at the role of the Okavango Delta.
Its support a lot of species including the elephants, purification of the water biologically as the water seeps through the deep Kalahari sands and the reeds that clean the water at no cost. Here, no man-made machinery is needed to purify the water it is a natural endowment. So the question that I pose to our lovely blog readers is in monetary terms how much is the Okavango Delta?
The role that the Okavango Delta plays is priceless when I look at the abundant species it supports. Botswana as a country benefiting immensely from the Okavango Delta, it has supported people adjacent to it for many years. Elephants have benefited from the vast land of delta and it supports a high biodiversity. Medicinal plants that Delta provides help local communities, palatable fruits of delta, oh the list is endless. How much is this Delta worth?
For me it is priceless, and that is why I have dedicated my life it to. But is it safe? No. Conservation is not a business, it does not give a return in monetary terms but it does give - it gives the knowledge that wilderness, such as the Okavango Delta, which are the lungs of the world are safe….. how much is that worth to you?
Tags: conservation, delta, donation, risk
Our Quest to see elephants lead us into a muddy channel
Category: Botswana Elephants | Date: Mar 16 2009 | By: elephantsofbotswana
On the 5th of March we headed out to the Northern side up on the quest to sight some elephants. We were wondering where the elephants were at so we decided to look for them out in the bush where there are no roads. Guess what we got stuck right in the middle of the bush. However our mission was accomplished as we managed to see three male elephants. This was an adventure as is now rare to spot elephants. Female breeding herds are not around as so we are mainly spotting males at the moment. We are waiting for the arrival of floods which will bring more life to the Delta.
Tags: 4x4, botswana, elephants, okavango delta, stuck
The floods have arrived at camp and the sky is grey – By Mphoeng
Category: Botswana Elephants | Date: Mar 13 2009 | By: elephantsofbotswana
The annual floods have reached our camp a little earlier than last year. This year it is feasible that they will be more flood water, making it even harder for us to get around. It has been raining since the beginning of March and we had grey sky since then. In Botswana water is an important resource. When there is a good rain in a certain year in Botswana the year is referred to as a female year. Batswana are farmers mainly and good rains mean good harvest water for the livestock. The farming that they do is not commercial but it’s for subsistent purposes. Even though the country is a semi-desert they rely mainly on rain water for watering of their crops and livestock. In some years when rains are not enough the Tswana people loose a lot of their livestock.
The flood has brought a lot of life into the Delta with fish eagles being heard often with their typical vocalisation. We are seeing more of the lions as the floods have pushed them from flood pains into the islands. Kingfishers are seen hovering waiting to catch a meal for the day. It really is buzzing here in camp.
Okavango Delta is an oasis it brings live in the middle of Kalahari and is a delta of life.
Where are the elephants in March? By Mphoeng
Category: Botswana Elephants | Date: Mar 12 2009 | By: elephantsofbotswana
I am perplexed as to how a big animal as an elephant cannot be seen for days. I have called on Joseph, an experienced guide, to help me with looking for elephants. However they have been no sightings, we keep on driving long distances with hope of seeing elephants; visiting their favourite areas with hope of seeing them but to no avail. It has been raining and so I am thinking that the rain must have something to do with the sudden disappearance of elephants. Or it the increase in bushmeat poaching that is keeping the elephants away, wondering if they will be next!! On the 4th March we decided to look for them in islands and we almost got stuck. Animal behaviour science is a broad field now we have to comprehend why the elephants are not around. At other times there are a lot of them but at other times none. Where are the elephants? Tomorrow we will continue our quest to see our most favourable animal, the elephant. Come back to see if our luck changed…….
Sometimes we see elephant…..sometimes we don’t….. By Mphoeng
Category: Uncategorized | Date: Mar 10 2009 | By: elephantsofbotswana
On the 22nd February I headed to Seba West. Seba West is an area that is not drivable during the flood season as it is mainly composed of flood plains and so in some areas the substrate is clay soils which make the terrain very difficult to get around. With floods not having arrived yet, it is a good area to look for the big male elephants. Although no elephants were sighted on this trip I saw a baboon which caught my attention. Baboons are highly social animals which live in troops. The male in the photos was tasked with the chore of being the eye for the troop, looking out for danger. Baboons are preyed upon by leopards and so the role of look out is an important one to save other troop members. Even when he was having a good scratch he kept an open eye for predators.
What amazes me, is how they decided who should guard on a daily basis? Do they have a timetable or some sort of a shift? Nature is amazing; the quest to comprehend animal behaviour is challenging as everyday present new challenges and this is what keeps me interested.
Tags: animal bahaviour, baboons, botswana, elephants, okavango delta
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Hi, I am Kate Evans, or more commonly known as Elephant Kate. I am a zoologist whose great love is elephants. Since 2002 I have been living my dream by researching elephants in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. I decided I was going to be an elephant researcher when I was seven. I was living in Asia at the time and visited the elephant orphanage in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It was there that I made up my mind I was going to work for these majestic and intelligent animals. I made a promise to an elephant and we all know an elephant never forgets!!!! It took me 20 years to finally realise my dream and start my life as an elephant researcher. It was 20 years well spent and now I have to pinch myself most days to make sure it is true and I am living my dream.
I now head up a team who are researching the elephants and trying to work out the social and ecological needs of the largest remaining population of the African elephant. From time to time, other team members will add their thoughts and experiences. I love sharing my experiences - so I hope that this blog is a medium through which you will be able to join the elephants and I on our adventures in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. -
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