Tracing the Source of the Elephant And Hippopotamus Ivory from ...

Africa, that the forest, thickets and woodlands were preferred. The shrublands and
grasslands, however, were barely utilized. The Songimvelo Game Reserve receives from
800 to 1400 mm rainfall per annum and the vegetation (particularly in the winter) is
considered low-quality for grazing. van Hoven (1983: 47), however, suggests that the
majority of woodland plant species in Southern Africa are consumed in proportion to
their occurrence, with only a few species preferred or avoided.
Particularly fascinating are the “desert” elephants of the western Kaokoveld,
located in the northern Namib Desert (Southwest Africa), a region which receives less
than 150 mm per year in rainfall and is characterized by dry savanah and shrub.
Research conducted by Viljoen (see 1988; 1989; and Viljoen and du P. Boethma 1990)
has brought this hitherto ignored and unique population of elephants to the forefront in
discussions of the ecological requirements of elephants. These elephants are,
furthermore, not a recent introduction to the area as there is evidence for them since
before 1793. Not only do the elephants that live in this region survive droughts that kill
off other “desert” mammals, but the populations also have shown no history of migrating
eastward out of this supposedly inhospitable terrain to more favorable regions. In fact,
their home ranges are rarely modified, even after multiple human attempts to chase them
out of the region. They are capable of traveling up to 70 km per day in search of water or
food, and moreover are able to go without water for up to four days in the dry season.
Viljoen estimates that they may utilize food resources up to 80 km away from the nearest
water. Water can also be obtained by digging in the sandy river beds. Nevertheless, their
detailed knowledge of the distribution of resources is probably the most important factor
in their adaptation to the desert (Viljoen 1988: 111-113). It seems that the elephant is in
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