Challenges to Elephant Connectivity From Border Fences in the World's Largest Transfrontier Conservation Area

Piet Beytell,Werner Kilian,Robin Naidoo,Graham Mcculloch,Anna Songhurst,Chief Tsholofelo,Angela Brennan,Russell Taylor,Amanda Stronza

doi:10.3389/fcosc.2022.788133

Abstract

To more effectively protect biodiversity and promote sustainable development, transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) aim to enhance wildlife flows across national borders. This is true of the world's largest terrestrial TFCA, the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA), home to half of Africa's savannah elephants that move across five countries in a mixed-use landscape. We used GPS tracking data from &gt;100 collared elephants to evaluate how fences between Namibia and Botswana impact transboundary connectivity in KAZA. For female elephants these fences formed an impenetrable boundary, with no exchange between animals collared in Botswana and those collared in Namibia. Male elephants did cross border fences, although they remained a partial boundary, with 7 of 21 males accounting for most crossings. Our results suggest a review of fence alignment and de-commissioning of some fencing separating Namibia and Botswana, combined with increased support for fence-free interventions that reduce wildlife-livestock interactions, should be considered to meet the objectives of KAZA.

Highlights

A fundamental goal of transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) is the enhanced flow of wildlife across national borders (Hanks, 2003)
The popularity of the TFCA concept is reflected in the 227 transfrontier conservation areas across five continents designated as of 2007 (Lysenko et al, 2007), with southern Africa (n = 18) a particular hotspot
The border fences between Botswana and Namibia were erected to guard against Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia transmission between wildlife and cattle, and cover sections of the western and northwestern part of Botswana’s border with Namibia

Summary

Introduction

A fundamental goal of transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) is the enhanced flow of wildlife across national borders (Hanks, 2003). There are a range of impediments to the free flow of wildlife and people across TFCAs. National sovereignty and the control of country borders remains an overriding national security priority, and political concerns can dominate the stated aims of TFCAs (Hanks, 2003). While states may benefit from joint management of natural resources that are shared among multiple countries, there can be costs to such arrangements, such as an exportation of human-wildlife conflict across borders (Stoldt et al, 2020)

Methods

Results

Conclusion