🐘 Botswana: On the Elephant Trail – An Unforgettable Adventure! 🌍
Today, I’m taking you with me to a lesser-known region of Botswana—a land where humans and elephants must learn to coexist. 🌿
What’s on the agenda? A grueling road, unforgettable encounters, and, above all, total immersion in a territory where elephants reign supreme.
🚗 Heading to the Panhandle: Here, Elephants Are Everywhere
Next stop: OCT (Okavango Community Trust) and Eretsha, home to one of the largest elephant populations in the country. There was no way I could miss seeing this with my own eyes!
But before getting there… the road. 😅
And let me tell you, this was next-level rough—gaping potholes, chaotic tracks… basically, an experience that puts your spine to the ultimate test!
After hours of driving (where I honestly thought I might end up in pieces), I finally reached the entrance to OCT. A quick photo in front of the sign, and there I was—stepping into a land where elephants are simply part of everyday life. 🐘✨
🐘 Here, Elephants Outnumber Humans!
Imagine a place where over 20,000 elephants pass through each year. To put that into perspective, that’s far more than the total human population of all the surrounding villages combined—around 15,000 people!
And these giants have XXL needs:
💧 100 to 200 liters of water per day
🌿 5% of their body weight in food
Needless to say, when they pass through a field, not much is left behind… and that can quickly become a major challenge for local communities.
Yet, what amazes me the most is that locals don’t reject the elephants. Instead of fighting against them, they work towards coexistence. A true life lesson!
EcoExist: An NGO Finding Real Solutions
That’s where EcoExist comes in—an NGO dedicated to balancing the needs of both elephants and humans. They implement practical solutions to prevent conflict and protect both sides. 🌍🐘
🧐 Their Action Plan:
1️⃣ Track elephant movements to avoid building on their natural routes.
2️⃣ Protect local communities with simple yet effective solutions (like a free bus service between villages).
3️⃣ Educate and raise awareness about peaceful coexistence.
4️⃣ Develop an elephant-based economy through tourism, crafts, and agriculture.
I had the chance to visit their headquarters in Maun before heading out to see how things really work in the field. Spoiler alert: it’s not as easy as it sounds… but the initiatives are making a difference! 💡🐘
🐘 Living with Elephants: Mission Possible?
The locals and EcoExist have implemented several solutions to reduce human-elephant conflicts. Some are ingenious, while others… are still experimental.
✅ Limiting road traffic during peak elephant movement hours → Avoiding early morning and late afternoon trips helps prevent unexpected encounters with these giants.
✅ A free bus service → Keeps residents from having to walk through high-risk areas.
✅ Elephant deterrents:
- Electric fences: Highly effective but expensive… and one fallen tree can knock out the entire system.
- Chili and smoke: Elephants hate it, but let’s be honest… so do we! 😉 I tested it myself, and it works—if the wind is in your favor.
- Bees 🐝: A technique borrowed from Kenya! A brilliant idea, but keeping beehives alive in this environment is a real challenge.
Turning the Problem into an Economic Opportunity
For long-term coexistence, economic alternatives are essential.
🔥 Some promising initiatives:
💼 Boosting agricultural products → A cooperative helps farmers sell their crops as high-value products. Worth trying!
🛠Repurposing fallen trees → Branches broken by elephants are used for local crafts. A smart way to turn damage into opportunity.
🎒Developing tourism → This region has huge potential, but it remains largely unknown. Here, you can go on safari by 4x4, mokoro (traditional canoe), or even on foot!
🌍 What I Took Away from This Experience? A Reality Check!
The people here didn’t choose to live with elephants, but they do everything they can to make it work.
Here, the focus is on adapting, understanding, and coexisting—and honestly, it’s inspiring.
🐘 Elephants are safe in Botswana.
👨🌾 Locals find solutions instead of creating conflict.
💡 Nothing is perfect, but these ideas deserve support.
Next time, I’ll tell you about my encounter with the Mbukushu tribe and everything I learned about their unique perspective on nature and elephants. (And yes, there will be Insta videos! 😉)
🔥 Would you be ready to meet the elephants up close?