Zambia and four of its neighbouring countries will next month start the first ever population survey of elephants in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area – KAZA.
The KAZA elephant counting will be done through an aerial survey to take place from August to October 2022 at a cost of over three million US dollars in Zambia, Angola, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
The population survey of elephants is a priority action identified during the 2019 Kasane Elephant Summit and a directive by the five KAZA Heads of State.
And KAZA Programme Manager, NETSAI BOLLMAN in an interview in Kasane, Botswana, said the survey will help in dealing with among other issues conservation and tourism development in partner states.
Ms. BOLLMAN said the exercise is particularly important because KAZA is home to more than half of the Savanna elephant population.
And DARREN POTGIETER, Aerial Survey Coordinator said the survey is a unique, scientific and synchronized coordination process across the vast KAZA area.
Mr. POTGIETER said the survey period was selected in the dry season to increase visibility of the animals.
The Census will determine the numbers and seasonal distributions of elephants, elephant carcasses and other large herbivores in KAZA.