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The project is a joint effort involving N.C. Zoo, WWF, and the Cameroon Ministry of Environment and Forests. The goal is to use satellite and radio tracking technology to identify the migration routes of elephant herds in several areas of Cameroon. Armed with that data, WWF and Cameroon wildlife officials hope to develop ways to reduce conflicts between the country's dwindling elephant population and the villages and farms that lie within their ranges.
African Elephants (Loxodonta africana) were added to the endangered species list in 1988. Concern for their survival arose after increasing ivory prices provoked unprecedented poaching during the 1970s. In the African nation of Cameroon, the elephant is further threatened by the expansion of human populations into its historical habitat areas. Conflicts between humans and elephants--often arising after elephants ransack valuable agricultural fields--often lead to the death of the elephant.
The research project to
radio collar Cameroonian
elephants is being carried out to meet the need to understand
their movements and distribution.
Authorities need this information to implement management strategies that protect elephants from poaching and monitor the elephants’ population.
Researchers hope that data from this study will identify areas where the elephants
congregate and travel. Once these places are known, rangers can begin protecting these migration corridors and gathering places for future
generations of elephants.
Chief Veterinarian at N.C. Zoo, Dr. Mike Loomis, is part of the team from World Wildlife Fund-Cameroon and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, creating Cameroon's National Elephant Management Plan.
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