Seven elephants arrived last week at the Kuatir Nature Reserve in southern Angola, where they were moved because of a severe drought ravaging Namibia, reserve manager Stefan Van Wyk told Lusa.
A total of 30 elephants, who have been living on the other side of the border in another private reserve, Mount Etjo Safari Lodge, which has more than 8,000 animals, will be relocated to Kuatir in Kuando Kubango province.
In a conversation with Lusa, Quatira’s chief Stefan Van Wyk stressed that for the first time in 50 years, elephants have returned permanently to this Angolan region due to a protracted civil war that destroyed much of the wildlife.
The conservationist explained that Namibia had been experiencing drought in the Okonjati area for almost five years and that food was becoming scarce in the reserve, leading to the need to relocate some of the animals.
“We started preparing for this move a year ago,” Van Wyk said, stressing that Kuatire “has plenty of food, clean water and until 1974 it had the largest elephant habitat in Angola.”
In the Angolan reserve, which covers an area of over 40,000 hectares, elephants occupy an area of 20,000 hectares and will coexist with gungas, kudu, impalas, sables and other antelopes, zebras, giraffes and a number of other species reintroduced over the years.
About 1,500 kilometres from Luanda, between the Kubando and Kuito rivers, Kuatir was built by a Namibian conservationist who discovered the site in 2012 and aims to make it the largest private park in Africa.
Two more trips are planned to remove the remaining animals from the herd, and the group is expected to be reunited in Angola by the end of this month.
The elephants were captured on the 5th and arrived in Quatir 48 hours later, having travelled over 700 kilometres of roads, tracks and sand in special containers adapted for these mammals.
A week later, Stefan Van Wyk said the elephants were “very happy.”
“They don’t walk much, they find food and water easily, and we meet them every day,” he said, adding that “little by little they will explore better” the new habitat.
In a statement, Mount Etjo Safari Lodge owners Alexander and Annette Oelofs said the decision was driven by the need to manage wildlife populations that had exceeded the area’s carrying capacity due to the current drought.
“The relocation was necessary to avoid further stress to the elephants and the local ecosystem. A further 10-20 animals will be relocated in the coming weeks,” they stressed.
The transport and movement of the animals was supported by the Angolan and Namibian authorities, as well as veterinary teams who supervised the operation.
“Mount Etjo Safari Lodge remains committed to the conservation and protection of wildlife. This relocation effort underlines our commitment to maintaining ecological balance and ensuring that future generations can enjoy the beauty and diversity of Africa’s wildlife,” the lodge manager stressed.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.