Last week, two members of our conservation family took the stage at the Southern African Wildlife Management Association (SAWMA) conference to share their new research. Our Vice President, Brooke Friswold, and our partner, Antoinette van de Water, founder of Bring The Elephant Home, presented findings that prove what we’ve long believed: when we give elephants more space and listen to local communities, everyone benefits.
Giving Elephants Room to Roam
Wild African elephants that live in closed systems, like those on private game reserves in South Africa, have different ecological impacts on their home ranges, and have different welfare considerations, than those living in open systems. Brooke’s presentation, “Range expansion improves elephant well-being and facilitates reciprocal ecosystem recovery: Evidence from a South African reserve,” shows us exactly what happens to the well-being of elephants when they are given more room to roam.
Brooke studied what happened when managers at Kariega Game Reserve removed an internal fence that had been dividing the reserve and the elephant herds. She compared elephant movement data, behavioral observations, fecal samples, and habitat use models for a year before and after the fence was removed. The results point to happier elephants and healthier ecosystems:
- A decrease in stress-related and aggressive behaviors after fence removal.
- Stress hormone levels in the elephants’ dung dropped significantly.
- Expanded home ranges reduced pressure on overused spots and allowed damaged vegetation to recover.
- Greater daily travel distances that better resemble elephants living in unfenced areas
- More complex social relationships
- More natural foraging patterns
This research indicates that range expansion isn’t just good for elephants – it creates a positive cycle where healthy elephants help create healthy ecosystems, which in turn support more elephants and other wildlife. For conservation managers, tourists, and local communities, this means fewer conflicts, better wildlife viewing experiences, and reduced costs for intensive management.
Listening to Communities
While Brooke’s work focused on the elephants themselves, Antoinette’s research reminds us that successful conservation must include the people who share the landscape with them. Her presentation, “Integrating Community Values and Principles into Conservation Approaches for Human-Elephant Landscapes,” challenges us to think beyond simple solutions to complex problems.
Too often, conservation debates get stuck in an “us versus them” mentality. Some people believe we should protect animals no matter what, while others focus only on human needs. But Antoinette’s research across South Africa, Namibia, and Thailand shows that real people living with elephants have much more complex and thoughtful views than these debates suggest.
Working with communities in three different countries, Antoinette and her team surveyed 702 people to understand their conservation values. Instead of fitting people into simple categories, they discovered that most individuals support multiple approaches to conservation at the same time. People care about protecting elephants AND meeting human needs AND respecting local cultures AND ensuring fair treatment for all.
Fans of the Myers-Briggs personality test will appreciate the research team’s approach. They created 16 different “conservation personalities” based on how people answered questions about their values. Each person got a four-letter code (like “pnCV, The Advocate”) that described their unique combination of conservation beliefs. They found that people living alongside elephants have nuanced, thoughtful opinions that don’t fit into the black-and-white arguments we often hear in conservation debates.
This research emphasizes that instead of imposing one-size-fits-all approaches, successful conservation programs must be flexible enough to work with the diverse values and needs of the people who call these landscapes home. Antoinette’s study provides a roadmap for conservation organizations around the world to better engage with local communities and create programs that truly serve both people and elephants, creating more sustainable solutions.
Why Scientific Conferences Matter for Conservation
You might wonder why it’s so important for researchers like Brooke and Antoinette to present their work at conferences like SAWMA. The answer lies in the power of sharing knowledge and building connections across the global conservation community.
Scientific conferences serve as meeting places where researchers, conservation managers, policy makers, and community leaders can come together to share what they’ve learned. When Brooke presents her fence removal research, wildlife managers from other reserves learn practical strategies they can use to improve elephant welfare in their own areas. When Antoinette shares her community engagement methods, other organizations discover new ways to work respectfully with local people.
These gatherings also allow scientists to get feedback on their work from experts around the world. A question from someone working in Kenya might help a researcher in South Africa see their data in a new way. A comment from a community leader might reveal an important angle that scientists hadn’t considered.
Perhaps most importantly, conferences help prevent conservation organizations from working in isolation. By connecting researchers studying different aspects of elephant conservation – from animal behavior to community engagement to habitat management – conferences help create a more complete picture of what elephants need to thrive.
The SAWMA conference specifically brings together people working on wildlife management challenges across southern Africa, a region that is home to about two-thirds of the world’s elephants. When our team shares research at SAWMA, we’re contributing to a knowledge base that will help protect elephants across an entire continent.
Building a Better Future for Elephants
Together, these studies point toward a future where conservation is both more effective and more fair. By removing barriers – both physical fences and social divisions – we can create landscapes where elephants roam freely, ecosystems heal naturally, and human communities prosper alongside wildlife.
However, this vision requires ongoing research, continued community engagement, and sustained financial support. Every study, every conference presentation, and every conversation with local communities brings us one step closer to a world where elephants are not just surviving, but thriving.
How You Can Help
The research presented at SAWMA is only possible because of supporters like you who believe in science-based, community-centered conservation. Your donations fund the GPS collars that track elephant movements, the laboratory tests that measure stress hormones, and the community surveys that ensure local voices are heard in conservation planning.
As our team continues this vital work, we need your help to expand their research and apply these findings to elephant populations around the world. Every dollar you donate directly supports fieldwork, scientific equipment, and the community partnerships that make this research possible.
Ready to make a difference? Make a donation and learn more about how you can support elephant conservation that benefits both animals and people.
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