Desert elephant

Common card · No. 490510

Desert elephants or desert-adapted elephants are a population of African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana), but they were once believed to be a sub-species. These elephants reside in the Namib and Sahara deserts. They are currently only found in Namibia. Elephants have traditionally lived in desert areas. In the early 20th century, there were approximately 3,000 elephants in the Kunene Region. By the 1980s the population had greatly diminished. Conservation measures have been put in place since then, and by 2013 the number of elephants had increased to about 600. In 1995–1996 there was an abundance of rainfall in Namibia, which revived the desert environment. Elephants then expanded southwards to the Ugab River. During the war for independence the desert elephants migrated north for safety, but they returned to the Ugab River in the mid 1990s. By that time many indigenous people had moved into the area following Namibia's independence. Many of these new residents had no experience living...

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