Botswana's Elephant Saving Community

In November 2023, Pelorus Foundation had the pleasure of meeting with Debra Stevens from our new local project partner, Elephant Havens Wildlife Foundation. Together we discussed wildlife conservation in Botswana and how it relates to the livelihoods of the local community.

At its core, Elephant Havens is committed to providing a nurturing habitat for elephants rescued from adverse situations, such as human-wildlife conflict, adverse climate conditions, fire, predation or habitat loss. Their dedication extends to the physical, emotional, and social well-being of these intelligent and sensitive animals, underscoring their mission to ensure holistic care and recovery.

Elephant Haven’s primary focus is on rescuing and rehabilitating young orphaned and abandoned elephants. By providing a safe haven, these elephants receive the necessary care and support to eventually reintegrate into the wild. This noble mission is underpinned by a deep understanding of the importance of elephants in the ecosystem and the threats they face, from human-wildlife conflict and the habitat loss that drives some of that conflict. Elephant Havens actively rescues elephants from critical situations and employs a comprehensive approach to their rehabilitation, focusing on both physical health and psychological wellbeing. 

With an emphasis on research to enhance understanding of elephants, this knowledge is integrated into educational programmes aimed at increasing public awareness and responsibility towards wildlife conservation. Our local partners are dedicated to informing and engaging local students about conservation, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for the preservation of African elephants and their habitats. This educational initiative is a fundamental aspect of their efforts to ensure long-term sustainability and community support for elephant conservation. Elephant Havens are also partnering with Colossal, a bioscience and genetics laboratory to develop technology-based strategies to establish a new model playbook for reintroducing orphan elephants back into the wild.

To better understand and preserve elephant populations, Colossal also sequences the genomes of orphans at Elephant Havens, and implements biobanking and genetic research for future generations. This partnership will be vital to the future of the conservation community, setting an entirely new precedent for species reintroduction.  

Recognising the interdependence of wildlife conservation and community well-being, our new local partner, Elephant Havens, engages with local communities to forge beneficial partnerships for both humans and elephants, promoting harmonious coexistence. A key aspect of Elephant Havens’ success lies in its community-driven approach. Recognising the vital role local communities play in conservation, the organisation actively involves the community in its efforts. Co-founder Boago (“Bee”) Poloko explains how managing human-elephant conflict is a main part of their mission, and how communities have to benefit from the elephants. 

It’s a matter of working together with the community and identifying problems. One of the first things they noticed was how kidney issues were far too common and were, in part, attributable to, low quality drinking water. In response, the drilling of a safe, clean water borehole became their first community project. Supporting local livelihoods is also a key community priority, and Elephant Havens are training local women in the manufacture of elephant dung paper, which is sold commercially in lodges and other retail outlets. Elephant Havens also collaborates with the Ministry of Education and its local public primary schools to facilitate other successes like building school additions, supplying computers in order to establish computer labs in public primary schools,  or purchasing school buses (and supplying the fuel and drivers for them), to help transport children safely through elephant areas to attend school. These community initiatives underpin one of Elephant Havens’ beliefs, that children are the future of the community and ambassadors for conservation. 

This includes education programmes, which aim to raise awareness about elephant conservation and the broader environmental issues. By engaging with schools and community groups, Elephant Havens helps foster a sense of stewardship and connection to the wildlife that shares their land.

Moreover, their relationship with the Botswana government is a model for successful collaboration in conservation efforts. The Botswana government has endorsed the Elephant Havens business plan and Elephant Havens is careful to ensure that their initiatives align with national conservation strategies. This collaboration has proven to be a win-win for the public sector and private NGO, as well as in ensuring that their efforts are sustainable and beneficial to both elephants and the local communities.

Please make a gift today

Your generous support is fundamental to the continuation and ongoing success of these inspiring initiatives. There are also opportunities to hop on board and actively get involved.

To find out more and how your donation will make a positive impact, please email support@pelorusfoundation.com.