Mali's elephants suffer in drought

Abstract

Mali's elephant population survives in marginal habitats bordering the Sahara. The largest population is found in the Gourma region. Poaching of Gourma elephants used to be of concern, but this is not believed to be a significant threat anymore. At present the extremely limited availability of water poses a major threat and is accountable for the death of many elephants. The elephants which share their range with other domestic animals and man have to compete for the scarce water. If present conditions persist, the vulnerability of the population to extinction will increase, the paper highlights some strategies which could be taken to remedy this.