PO Box 2146 Swakopmund, Namibia
Tel: +264 64 402501 / Cell: +264 812332148
Fax: +264 64 403574
[email protected]
www.desertelephant.org
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5 November 2014
Annual report from Elephant Human Relations Aid
EHRA’s areas of activities fall into the following areas:
1. Water Point Protection Programme
2. The PEACE Project – Educational Training on Elephant Safety
3. Elephant Movement and Identification
4. Schools Partnership Programme
5. Conservancy support
6. Internship programme
7. Volunteer programme
This report provides and update on our progress in each area throughout 2014 and to date. EHRA
has focused on the need to provide practical, realistic solutions to elephant-human conflict since its
conception and we believe we have progressed with the assistance we offer to Namibians in this
regard.
1.Water Point Protection Programme
Elephant damage to drink water tank and house in Sorris Sorris Conservancy
Omao Pos, Erongo Region. Joint Project with MET Erongo.
To date EHRA has built 147 protection walls in the southern Kunene and northern Erongo areas. We
work with MET to provide assistance where required. Currently we are assisting MET Erongo with
emergency protection walls and these projects will extend into 2015. We meet with MET to
prioritise the list of application forms and are able to respond to emergency situations within a
maximum 2 week period. Application forms are available from EHRA, MET regional offices, Ministry
Agriculture and Rural Water Supply.
2. PEACE Project
MET staff learning how to age an elephant by the size of its footprint.
The aim of the PEACE Project is to empower all stakeholders who connect with elephants with the
knowledge they require to keep themselves, their families, homesteads and livestock safe during
elephant encounters and to live with out fear of the resident desert elephants.
The PEACE Project is a 2 day course. The first section of the course is classroom based where
attendees are taught about elephant behaviour, society, physiology, safety tips and realistic and
practical advice such as how to train dogs not to bark and explaining that elephants can smell water.
In the area where we operate a number of houses have been destroyed by elephants trying to access
Ana seed pods to be used as food for goats and were being kept inside.
The classroom is often under the shade of a tree.
EHRA Leaders Hendrick Munembome and Mattias Kangumbe inspecting elephant damage to house
in Anixab. Ana seed pods were inside.
Elephant Damage to house where water was stored at Sorris Sorris Conservancy
During the second day participants are taken into the field to see the desert elephants and to
understand their behaviour first hand. Many people are terrified of elephants and the aim is to
explain that if circumstances are calm during elephant encounters, the elephants are also calm.
Community members watching elephants
Over the past 2 years EHRA has diversified into providing training for community game guards, lodge
employees, tour guides and MET staff. These PEACE projects focus on information specific to the
attendee’s areas of employment. Training is provided on tracking skills, elephant identification,
elephant behaviour, elephant physiology and society.
On foot tracking safety when elephants could be in close vicinity
In 2014 we trained 167 people as at 13 November, with two more seminars planned before the end
of the working year. To date that is a total of 639 people who have attended a PEACE Project. In
addition Dr Betsy Fox gave two talks to audiences at the Namibian Scientific Society in 2013 and 2014
with over 70 people in attendance. We have also given talks to learners at A.Gariseb Primary, Frans
Frederick Primary and Moria Private School in Outjo.
Elephant Safety Initiative at A.Gariseb Primary School in Anixab July 2014
A.Gariseb Primary school is based approx. 200 metres from the Ugab River. Many of the children
play in the river and around the school grounds. In addition the elephants are often in the school
ground which presents a dangerous situation for learners and staff. During EHRA’s elephant safety
week 7-11 July 2014, a bull elephant even walked straight into the school grounds. The main issue is
leaking water pipes throughout the village and school, which caused elephants to break the fence
and come into the school. In addition there is a large Ana and Fig tree which the elephants come to
eat from. During this week the older children were trained as ‘elephant mentors’ in the hope that
they will control younger children during elephant visits.
Every day Hendrick Mumembome performed various activities with the children, such as role play to
show what to do when encountering elephants, teaching the children about elephant behaviour,
society and safety information. At the end of the week the learners were tasked with a safety poster
competition, the winning team would have their poster printed professionally by EHRA and
distributed through Namibia. Below you will see the poster and we have attached one to this report.
The poster is aimed at schools and community members.
Learners at A.Gariseb Primary School during Elephant Safety Week
Elephant inside the school grounds
Safety messages painted by EHRA
Elephant Safety Poster
EHRA has provided the funding for this project and the initial print run of 200 has been distributed in
November 2014. We will also provide the poster in a downloadable format on our web site free of
charge.
In addition EHRA has designed a brochure for self drive tourists in association with TOSCO Trust and
News. This brochure provides information on the desert elephants and safety information.
Vegetable Garden and Water Pump Donation
EHRA designed and constructed an elephant proof vegetable garden in August 2014 for farmers in
the Otjimboyo Conservancy who live on the Ugab River. At this garden all known methods to prevent
elephants from entering gardens have been used. These include constructing a large, solid fence,
painting rocks white all around the perimeter of the fence, making a mixture of old engine oil and
chillis, ‘chilli bombs’ hung around the fence which are a mixture of elephant dung with the oil
mixture hung in breathable material. EHRA donated a water pump to the farmers and dug the water
pipes deep into the ground. The garden is an experiment and if successful EHRA will provide training
on these measures to other interested farmers.
The Vegetable Garden on the Ugab River
3. Elephant Movement and Identification
For the past 10 years EHRA has spent over 24 weeks each year in the field. Each patrol covers approx
250km totalling 6000km covered in a year period.
Game Guards from Sorris Sorris are able to join these patrols free of charge.
During the patrols the team visit effected farms and distribute water point protection wall
application forms. Where necessary elephant conflict incidents are investigated and advise given.
The team have also cleared illegal traps with in the Ugab, mostly for catching Sand Grouse.
For 2015 EHRA is developing GIS mapping capabilities so we can produce maps showing movement
data. All game is also recorded on the patrol and EHRA has been in contact with a mapping expert in
Windhoek who can process this data for MET.
4. Schools Partnership Programme
The partnership programme between EHRA, A.Gariseb Primary School and King Alfred’s School in
London celebrated its 10th anniversary in July 2014. The projects this year were to build a volley ball
court, renovate the kindergarten and build a playground, and to provide a shaded waiting area for
the dining room and a privacy wall in front of the girls dormitories. To date EHRA has renovated all
classrooms and dormitory building, renovated the office block and staff room, provided a library and
computer room, built a kindergarten, playgrounds, vegetable gardens, renovated toilets and
ablutions, donated 220 mattresses and blankets. To date EHRA has donated over N$650,000 of
resources to the school and it is a relationship EHRA is proud of and values. To be part of the
community is very important to EHRA.
We have also provided assistance to Frans Frederick Primary School in Fransfontien where the
classroom blocks were renovated, dormitory rooms and donations of mattresses were provided.
The community kindergarten was painted inside and out
Inside the kindergarten
Volunteers building a playground at the kindergarten
The school requested privacy for the girls dormitories
EHRA was asked to build a volley ball court
Donations of clothes and stationary were given to all children on the vulnerable list
EHRA was able to provide every child with a blanket in a joint effort with the Round Table Erongo
5. Conservancy support
In addition to EHRA’s other activities, assistance is also provided direct to the conservancies. Every
year EHRA participates in the game counts for Otjimboyo, Ohungu, Sorris Sorris, Huab, Doro Nawas,
!Khoro !Goreb.
Volunteer teams in Game Count training Session with Otjimboyo and Ohungu Conservancies
EHRA has an arrangement with the Sorris Sorris Conservancy that the game guards can join EHRA’s
twice monthly patrols to assist them in collecting their data for the event books. Additional training
is also given on the elephants in the area and their identification.
EHRA has provided sponsorship for the second time of football shirts for the Sorris Sorris football
team ‘The Elephantoms’! We have also sponsored the trophy for the Environmental Cup, a
tournament between conservancies.
The new Adidas Football Strip
Joint Venture with Sorris Sorris
In 2015 EHRA hopes to open a commercial ‘eco camp site’ in a joint venture with Sorris Sorris
Conservancy. The idea is to help create income for the conservancy that will demonstrate the
economical benefits of the elephant’s residence in the area. There will also be an information centre
on the desert elephants and the challenges communities have in living together. We aim for the
information centre to also become a training centre for the PEACE Project and vocational courses for
Namibians, such as guide training and elephant tracking.
6. Namibian Student Internships
EHRA offers an internship programme to any Namibian (only) students studying a related field,
whether that is the Nature Conservation Diploma, Environmental Biology Degree or Tourism
Qualification. In 2014 4 students will join EHRA in the field and be exposed to every area of the
organisations activities.
7. Volunteer Programme
To date EHRA has received over 1175 overseas volunteers who have assisted the organisation in
building the protection walls throughout the region. Income generated from this programme
provides the only funding for the not for gain organisation.
EHRA has strived to be successful in creating a win-win situation and to demonstrate how
conservation and tourism can work hand in hand to create practical solutions.
EHRA has won an International Award for the programme from Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism
Awards, generating positive press coverage for Namibia and demonstrating our professional attitude
to operating the organisation.
Rachel Harris from EHRA collecting award in London.
EHRA is registered with the Namibian Tourism Board and is also featured on their web site. EHRA is
also a member of NEWS and has applications in process with NACSO and NANGOF.
The EHRA team is a small group of dedicated people, committed to ensuring the safety and well
being of Namibian people living along side desert elephants. EHRA is committed to continuing to
provide these services and to expand the assistance we provide to MET and effected conservancies in
mitigating elephant-human conflict.
Yours faithfully,
Rachel Harris and Johannes Haasbroek