A review of historical trends in the distribution and abundance of elephants Loxodonta africana in Mozambique

Abstract

t u m i , S . M . F e r r e i r a and R . J . v a n A a r d e Abstract The elephant Loxodonta africana population of Mozambique has declined rapidly over the last 4 decades. Historical census data are incomplete but suggest that the impact of human activity on the elephant population increased after the onset of the colonial era. Demand for ivory explains the population decline from 1700 to 1940, and the killing of elephants as part of settlement policies and tsetse fly control programmes further reduced the populations between 1940 and 1960. Land transformation from 1900 onwards may also have contributed to the historical decline in elephant numbers. Our assessment suggests that landscape approaches should be explored in seeking to conserve elephants in modern Mozambique.

Bottom-Up Approach towards a Human Wellbeing Assessment for the Design of a Management Plan: A Study Case with Contributions to Improve Sustainable Management of Resources in a Northern Area of Mozambique

“…As shown in Table 2, population is distributed over 15 villages. Ntumi et al [31] refer to Cabo Delgado as a "less densely" populated province in which "elephants and other wildlife persist widely, especially close to protected areas such as the Niassa National Reserve, the Quirimbas National Park and the Zumbo region".…”

Systematic review on the conservation genetics of African savannah elephants

“…Elephants have been present in the African savannah for a long period of time, influencing ecological processes and facilitating herbivory ( Guldemond & Van Aarde, 2008 ; Graham et al, 2009 ; Campos-Arceiz & Blake, 2011 ). However, in recent times this species has been extirpated from large portions of its habitat, mainly as a result of habitat fragmentation and isolation, poaching for ivory, human-elephant conflicts and a small amount of hunting for meat consumption ( Douglas-Hamilton, 1987 ; Blanc et al, 2005 ; Ntumi, Ferreira & van Aarde, 2009 ; Dunham, 2012 ; Wittemyer, Daballen & Douglas-Hamilton, 2013 ; Booth & Dunham, 2014 ). Extensive research has been undertaken to understand this species from a range of perspectives and to support better management strategies; among these, the genetic perspective has been gaining interest ( Roca & O’Brien, 2005 ; Archie & Chiyo, 2012 ; Roca et al, 2015 ).…”

How Important was the Presence of Elephants as a Determinant of the Zhizo Settlement of the Greater Mapungubwe Landscape?

“…While both African and Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) produce ivory that is opaque, flexible and fine-grained, it is from African elephants that the ivory is most suitable for the production of artefacts (Luxmoore 1991;Alpers 1992;Meredith 2001). It was only since the sixteenth century, but mostly from the twentieth century, that the demand for elephant ivory has been unprecedented, threatening the survival of both African and Asian elephant species (e.g., Beachey 1967;Parker & Martin 1982;Ntumi et al 2009). For the purpose of this paper, we are concerned with the period around AD 900 and the role elephants played in southern Africa, where unfortunately elephant use, whether for food or as a resource, is poorly documented (see Hammond-Tooke 1974;Mitchell 2005).…”

“…Alternatively, Beachey (1967) reports a much lower figure of 13 tonnes of ivory that passed through Sofala in the 16 th century. Spinage's (1973) figures translate to 17,250 kg of ivory per annum, which was presumably sourced from a larger area (Ntumi et al 2009), and not only the Greater Mapungubwe Landscape. Possibly more comparable is the 90,000 kg of tusks exported from the Transvaal in 1855 (Carruthers et al 2008).…”