Chobe Elephants March To Gaborone?

Chobe elephants have been trying to find an ancient route to their former habitat in Gaborone over the past week. About 12 elephants were sighted less than 80km from the capital, as wildlife officers’ battle to drive the elephants from Chobe National Park into the Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR) and Khutse Game Reserve.

Missionary records show that the area around Kolobeng and Gaborone used to be populated with elephants that white travellers killed for the ivory trade. Gaborone is about 1,000km from the Chobe National Park. On Tuesday, two elephants were seen two kilometres from Molepolole or 52km from Gaborone, in Suping village, before they were driven away by wildlife officers. Now they are reported to be in the village of Ditshukudung, as wildlife officers attempt to drive them into the Khutse Game Reserve and the CKGR.

Kweneng regional wildlife coordinator, Dimakatso Ntsebe said 12 elephants have been seen in the area in separate groups over the last week.  The largest group of seven elephants were sighted in Khudumelajwe.

Meanwhile, it looks like wildlife officers are struggling to drive back the elephants. Two of the wild animals spotted outside Molepolole were close to reaching Lentswe-le-tau village on Wednesday, before the army intervened to help wildlife officers.

On Friday some of the animals were reported to be 8km from Ditshukudu. Ntsebe says the Chobe elephants have been marching into the CKGR and the Khutse Game Reserve in high numbers lately in search of pasture and watering holes.

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