Researchers of desert elephant conservation, Laura Brown and Rob Ramey, will spend two months researching and monitoring Hoanib’s desert-adapted elephant population at Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp in Namibia, in an effort to promote their long-term conservation.
Both with PhDs from Cornell University, US, Brown and Ramey have studied the Uniab, Hoarusib and Hoanib elephant populations of since 2005. Through annual surveys, they have created a complete inventory of the desert-adapted elephant population with photographic identifications of each animal.
As of 2014, Brown and Ramey’s research results show that the number of elephants in the lower Hoanib and Hoarusib Rivers had dropped by 30% in ten years. The decline seems to be caused by natural and human-caused deaths, low rates of reproduction and offspring survival, and emigration.
“Our Hoanib Research Centre is nearing completion and we are extremely excited to have this as the base for Laura and Rob to continue with this important project that will ultimately add to our knowledge of Namibia’s unique desert elephant population and be used in the country’s ongoing conservation efforts to protect it”, said Mike Wassung, Wilderness Safaris Namibia MD.
