how they have survived and how they can be conserved Dr Susan - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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how they have survived and how they can be
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how they have survived and how they can be conserved Dr Susan - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Nov 30, 2022 331 likes •882 views

Malis remarkable desert - adapted elephants: how they have survived and how they can be conserved Dr Susan Canney, Director of the Mali Elephant Project Research Associate, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford Range of habitats

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Mali’s remarkable “desert-adapted” elephants: how they have survived and how they can be conserved

Dr Susan Canney, Director of the Mali Elephant Project Research Associate, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford

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Range of habitats

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How have these elephants survived?

  • Internationally important

elephant population

  • 12% of all West African elephants
  • Most northerly in Africa
  • Undertake the longest & most

unusual circular migration of all elephants

  • One of two populations of desert

elephants

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100km Timbuktu

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100km Timbuktu

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Zoom in to Banzena

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Photograph by Carlton Ward Jr

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Photograph by Carlton Ward Jr

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100km Timbuktu

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Hamniganda

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Lake Gossi

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Conclusions 2006

  • Urgent action required at Banzena and the Porte des Elephants
  • Incremental degradation & increasing human activity all over the

elephant range and beyond  perception of increasing elephant numbers.

We had 5 years to start turning things around

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But what to do?

In 2006:

  • 2 foresters posts for an area the size of Switzerland & no vehicles
  • No resources
  • No government morale or political will
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Community dialogue:

understanding the human dimension

“If elephants disappear it means the environment is no longer good for us”

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Attitude survey 2009 351 people

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ST STAKE AKEHOLDERS DERS OUTREA TREACH CH & E & ENGAGEM EMEN ENT

Educati tion, Training raining, Info Informati rmation

TOURISTS, VISITORS GOVERNMENT, DONOR, NGO PROJECTS TH THREA REATS TS

OCCUPIED ELEPHANT ROUTE Competition for resources Impaired access to resources

ST STRA RATE TEGIES IES & & ACTION CTIONS

PLANS, STRATEGIES, POLICIES

LOCAL COMMUNITIES

SCHOOLS COMMUNITY LEADERS GRASS- ROOTS

LOCAL COMMUNITY ACTION SENSITIVE ECO-TOURISM

Building a shared vision within Mali

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Outreach

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10s of 1,000s

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Over 96%

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High degree of

resource exploitation by

  • utsiders

High levels of degradation

  • Shifting ‘bush

cultivation’  erosion

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Over 50%

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Then work out solutions that bring benefits for elephants, people & the ecosystem Based on study results - brought together clans, ethnicities, local government together to agree on the problems, thus establishing common ground

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“Since we left we no longer have stomach

  • aches. The men can go back to Banzena if

they want but we are staying here”

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Biggest problem is no commonly agreed NRM systems across ethnicities

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Community NRM that includes elephant habitat protection: management committee plus patrols

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Management committee designated 40,000 ha pastoral reserve  92,380 ha by adjacent communities

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Legal back-up

  • Decentralization legislation:

– Local & intercommunal conventions

  • Livestock legislation (Charte

pastorale):

– Establishment of pasture reserves

  • Communities legislation:

– Establishment of community groups and “associations” with authority to act as foresters

  • Planning legislation

– Area zonation

  • Environmental legislation

– Species protected from over- exploitation and hunting

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Firebreak economics:

  • Pasture at the end of the dry season &

no need to buy forage at a premium

  • Sale of hay
  • Sale of grazing access rights

Livestock worth 50% more, healthier, give more milk and produce more young One community made $24,000 per year divided between the management committee, the eco-guards and the women

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Guiding vision

Model of human-nature co-existence :

– ecosystem restoration through community empowerment supported by government – reintroduction of lost species

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2011 – fall of Gadaafi, return of Tuareg mercenaries and re- ignition of rebellion

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Intercommunity meeting – 4 days

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Grain distribution

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Elders & clan leaders

Pledged to convey the message throughout the community and to the leaders of the armed groups …..

“Anyone who kills elephants steals from the local people”

Traditional chief of Ebanguimallen

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Vigilance networks providing an occupation with status and preventing radicalisation They have information but not armed enforcement back-up

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The eco-guards are central

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Creating an anti-poaching unit

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Community benefits from collective resource management that leaves space and resources for people and elephants

Building and maintaining community solidarity

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Thank you!

www.wild.org/mali-elephants