Target amount Southern Africa: € 35.000 Raised: [text-blocks id=”donation-destination-balance” destination=CHALLENGE_AF plain=”1″]
Will you take part in this unique challenge to increase the survival chances of African elephants? You can participate by donating to one of the existing Challenge campaigns or by organizing your own Challenge campaign. By joining the Challenge, you contribute to a world in which people and elephants can coexist in harmony! Here you can read more about the mission of the Bring the Elephant Home Challenge in Southern Africa.
What is going on?
Within seven years, 144,000 African elephants have been killed. Southern Africa is home to over 50% of the African elephant, making this area the last stronghold of the species. The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park is a 35,000 km² park that transcends multiple country borders. It links the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique, the Kruger National Park in South Africa, the Gonarezhou National Park, Manjinji Pan Sanctuary, and Malipati Safari Area in Zimbabwe, as well as the area between Kruger and Gonarezhou, the Sengwe.
The density of elephants varies greatly within Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. This is partly due to different policies with regard to land use and safety measures. There are fewer elephants in Zinave and Banhine National Parks in Mozambique than in Kruger National Park and Gonarezhou National Park. Corridors to link the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park to Banhine and Zinave would increase the habitat of elephants extensively and would be beneficial to all countries involved.
Farmers in Mozambique are confronted with crop-raiding elephants, poverty, seasonal droughts, and floods. Subsistence farmers are vulnerable, which makes poaching of elephants and rhinos a lucrative alternative business. Poaching has become more socially acceptable amongst local communities in this area. It has been shown that poverty and corruption are stronger catalysts for poaching than the lack of law enforcement. Consequently, Mozambique is one of the countries which has been severely affected by poaching.
There are four Challenge Goals in Southern Africa. You can contribute with a donation to (one of) the existing campaigns for these goals or by organizing your own Challenge campaign. Thank you for your help!
Challenge goal: Development of a corridor to connect elephant habitat
Target amount: € 7.000 Raised: [text-blocks id=”donation-destination-balance” destination=CHALLENGE_AF_CORRIDOR plain=”1″]
What can we accomplish together with this amount: Together with other organizations, we aim to create a corridor to connect two protected areas in Mozambique to double the habitat of elephants. Through GPS collars, we are able to track elephant movements. This increases our understanding of elephants’ landscape use and their habitat and safety needs. Through the corridor, elephant habitats will be connected, providing more space and food for the elephants, and increased biodiversity in the area. The restored habitat will be a safe haven for elephants, with fewer incidents of crop-raiding as a result. Bring the Elephant Home! ⇒ Start your campaign for this goal now
Challenge goal: Initiation of a field station in South-Africa
Target amount: € 18.000 Raised: [text-blocks id=”donation-destination-balance” destination=CHALLENGE_AF_FIELDSTATION plain=”1″]
What can we accomplish together with this amount: A field station provides a strong foundation within the community and offers unique opportunities and experiences for trainees and volunteers. In addition, they contribute to the capacity of our organization. The field station will also offer knowledge exchange programs for people living in human-elephant conflict areas. This will provide more insight into the needs of the people living with elephants, and experiences from diverse areas are shared. ⇒ Start your campaign for this goal now
Challenge goal: Giving workshops and conducting survey research among communities
Target amount: € 4,000 Raised: [text-blocks id=”donation-destination-balance” destination=CHALLENGE_AF_WORKSHOPS plain=”1″]
What can we accomplish together with this amount: We want to give workshops on beehive fences and honey production, chili screens, and alternative crops. This will not only provide insight into sustainable solutions for human-elephant conflicts, but also contribute to local skills, social cohesion, and knowledge exchange. Through the workshops, community members will obtain the tools and knowledge to initiate their own elephant conservation projects and at the same time realize sustainable, animal-friendly income for the community. ⇒ Start your campaign for this goal now
Challenge goal: Educate and provide employment for 10 Mozambican women
Target amount: € 6.000 Raised: [text-blocks id=”donation-destination-balance” destination=CHALLENGE_AF_10WOMEN plain=”1″]
What can we accomplish together with this amount: Within the corridor area, we will start a unique mission with ten women: They will be trained and given the resources to actively manage the corridor. Through workshops and eye opener trips, cooperation, knowledge, and empowerment of these women will be strengthened. They will monitor activities within the corridor, both of elephants and poachers, they will coordinate sustainable solutions to reduce conflicts, and provide information within their community. This ensures that the corridor will be secured and managed. The relationship between humans and elephants will improve through the active involvement of these women, their families and network. And more importantly, these women will replace the poachers as role models within the community. ⇒ Start your campaign for this goal now
About Bring the Elephant Home (BTEH)
We focus on protecting the Asian and African elephant. The diverse activities that we have organized in the past years have resulted in an integrated approach to elephant conservation: creating positive change by combining the participation of local communities with information, research, capacity-building, and practical action. BTEH believes in a holistic approach, and in the involvement of local communities, students, scientists, governments, rangers, and everyone who values nature conservation.
Bring the Elephant Home has over 10 years of experience in community-based nature conservation. With integrated solutions, we can improve the habitat of elephants and the well-being of both elephants and people within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. Will you help realize the Challenge?