Kunene Elephant Walk starting Sunday
The Kunene region is known for its rich biodiversity and successful community-based conservation programmes. However, alongside this success story, there is also a growing challenge: the increasing conflict between humans and elephants. While the elephant population is thriving, their presence near villages and farmland has become a daily struggle for rural communities.Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC) launched the Kunene Elephant Rangers programme in 2020, training community rangers from 15 protected areas to monitor and manage elephant behaviour. “These rangers are tasked with protecting farmland by keeping elephants out of the fields. However, limited resources, including a lack of vehicles, make this work challenging,” said IRDNC.
From 9 to 14 March, the rangers will embark on the Kunene Elephant Walk, a six-day, 362-kilometer walk from Windhoek to Swakopmund. The walk is not only a demonstration of their commitment, but also a call to action. "We want to show the world that we are committed to protecting both humans and elephants. This walk is about raising awareness and securing the resources we need to support our work, including vehicles," says IRDNC.
The Kunene Elephant Walk is an opportunity for people around the world to support this conservation initiative. "By donating, sponsoring the walk or simply spreading the word, you can help ensure that humans and elephants can continue to live together peacefully in the future."
The aim of the initiative is, among other things, to raise awareness of the human-elephant conflict and to raise funds to purchase a vehicle for the rangers.