Imagine seven planes flying over 40,000 miles across a vast area called Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA), where African savanna elephants roam. From August to October 2022, these planes counted 227,900 elephants! That’s like these graceful giants filling the Earth’s circumference twice.
Countries like Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe worked together for this special survey. It’s important because KAZA is one of the largest areas where elephants live freely. Organizations like WWF and others helped using scientific methods to ensure accurate results.
While the elephant population is generally stable, some countries saw increases, like Angola, while others, like Zambia, saw decreases. Unfortunately, elephants often die due to poaching, habitat loss, and other issues. That’s why it’s important to continue working together to protect them.
For the future, we need to make sure elephants can still move freely between protected areas. This will help ensure their survival for years to come.
