Flying for the KAZA Elephant Survey completed
Flying for the KAZA Elephant Survey has been completed,the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Secretariat said on Saturday.
The last flights took place in the Zambezi region of Namibia, to survey south-eastern Angola, and in Sioma Ngwezi National Park in Zambia, to complete the count of a game management area there.
The KAZA Elephant Survey is a priority action identified during the 2019 Kasane Elephant Summit, a directive of the KAZA Partner State Heads of State, and a fundamental component of the KAZA Strategic Planning Framework for the Conservation and Management of Elephants.
The survey aims to determine the numbers and seasonal distribution of elephants and elephant carcasses, and other large herbivores and is a substantial undertaking and coordinated effort of the governments of the Partner States comprising the Republics of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Since the first flights which took place in the Sebungwe Region of northwest Zimbabwe on the 22nd of August this year, a total area of 312,000km² across KAZA has been covered by survey flying, with a total of 697 flying hours undertaken by eight aircraft.
As per the survey methodology, flying took place during the height of the dry season to ensure maximum visibility through tree canopies, with an average height for flying of 300ft (91m).
The KAZA Partner States contributed to, oversaw, supported, and participated in all aspects of the KAZA Elephant Survey, seconding personnel that made up over 50% of the 47-person team comprising contractors, survey biologists, observers, data managers, and operations rooms technicians.
With survey flying completed, the project now moves towards the data analysis phase. Plans are to complete a preliminary analysis in November/December of this year, and finalisation of a draft report on survey findings in February/March 2023, following which a process of peer review will begin.
In a statement, the KAZA Secretariat and Partner States thanked the implementation partner, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and the KAZA Elephant Survey donors and international cooperation partners.
