By Wezi Tjaronda
WINDHOEK
Environmental scientists and research experts converged on Etosha National Park last week for a symposium that deliberated on a wide range of issues concerning the reserve.
The symposium, which preceded the 21st annual meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, One World, One Conservation and One Partnership to be held in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, was part of the celebrations of Etosha’s 100-year anniversary. The main commemorative event will be held inside the park later in September.
About 100 experts, among them researchers and scientists who have conducted research in Etosha, were presented an opportunity to reflect on past achievements and future challenges.
Permanent Secretary of Environment and Tourism, Dr Malan Lindeque, said that topics that featured prominently for discussions included the management of anthrax and a new anthrax study in Etosha.
Other issues were rhino conservation genetics and the population dynamics of zebras, springbok, wildebeest and spotted hyenas.
Researchers presented pastoralist perceptions and realities of vegetation change, browse consumption in the northern Kalahari and the movement patterns and home ranges of global positioning system (GPS)-collated elephants in northern Namibia.
“Insight would be shared on social dominance, seasonal movements, spatial segregation in African elephants within the context of how that contributes to conservation behaviour,” Lindeque said.
To reinforce the importance of park neighbours, the symposium had a presentation focusing on the importance of local level wildlife management to the livelihoods of the inhabitants of the Ehirovipuka communal conservancy.
Future tourism potential and development will be explored to optimise on Namibia’s scale of tourism attraction globally and the potentially lucrative market space in Europe, America and Asia. This will include a round-table discussion that will look at the future research directions on Etosha.
The 22 270-square-km park is host to a variety of wildlife and birds, namely 114 mammal, 380 bird and 110 reptile species. Elephant, impala and black and white rhino populations that were once extinct are now back.
Other events planned as part of the Etosha centenary celebrations include a waste-recycling project that will be launched in July, and moon walks on the pan that start in August.