The impact of manThe Chobe is known to have the highest concentration of elephants on the African continent. But why is the elephant population so large in Chobe? The answer lies in human conflict and in particular the liberation era in Africa.
Historically, and even as recently as thirty years ago, the Chobe River was merely a stopover for wandering herds of elephant as they travelled through northern Botswana, the Caprivi Strip of Namibia, south eastern Angola, western Zambia and north eastern Zimbabwe. Civil war and a war of independence put a stop to this movement.
Civil war in Angola and a war of independence in Namibia resulted in the elephants, and other wildlife, being poached for food for the armies. Skins and ivory were harvested to sell to buy weapons for the war. This resulted in the elephants staying back in the safe haven of the Botswana side of the Chobe River.
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