Status and past and present distribution of elephants in the Kaokoveld, South West Africa/Namibia

Abstract

The status and past and present distribution of elephants in the Kaokoveld are examined. The elephants of the Kaokoveld are divided into a western and eastern population with a transition population in between. In 1983, 357 individual elephants were identified with 70 in the western, 207 in the eastern and 80 in the transitional. Available records indicate that elephants were present in the northern Namib desert long before the advent of western man. Present data show that man had little influence on the occupation of elephants in the western area before 1880. Elephant populations are now stable following intensified law enforcement, but with small population sizes, the situation remains vulnerable.