Seasonal movement behaviour of large male elephant in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Abstract

A great challenge for African conservationists is human–wildlife conflict outside the boundaries of protected areas (PAs). This is particularly true when considering large mobile species, such as elephants, that often disperse from PAs into community land. In Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, studies on elephant dispersal have focused on breeding herds. Here, we analyse the movements of five older, large males fitted with GPS collars. We found some dispersal outside Hwange, but large males were largely restricted to the Park, especially during the late dry season when water was scarce. Our findings may be useful to regional conservation decision makers.