The African elephant is an ambassador for conservation. The largest mammal that walks the earth is now leading the way to help save vast areas of wild lands and the biodiversity they support.

The great paradox about elephant conservation is that while many African countries have experienced rapidly decreasing elephant populations, others have to cope with rising elephant numbers. Both declining and growing elephant numbers present certain problems and concerns.

Botswana has the largest elephant population remaining on the African continent. The recovery of this country’s elephant population is one of the greatest conservation achievements of the last half-century. Ironically, this accomplishment has led to growing concern about how to manage this large population. Some people are worried that elephants have recovered in greater numbers than the environment can sustain, turning fragile forests into open grasslands and intensifying human-elephant conflict.

Elephants Without Borders (EWB) is a non-profit organization based in Botswana, working across southern Africa. We use state-of-the-art technology, to monitor the movements, status and behavior of elephants, addressing complex issues regarding elephant ecology through research studies and sharing the results with decision makers and local communities. Better understanding elephant ecology and sharing this information allows us to work towards securing key habitats and migratory corridors for wildlife to flourish. Helping to solve the challenges elephants and people face also benefits other wildlife species and supports communities who adopt sustainable conservation enterprises. EWB also provides advisory services for governments, private sector, local communities, researchers, journalists and film-makers.

At EWB, we believe elephants are one of Africa’s most valuable wildlife species. Elephants are the flagships, directing and providing us with an opportunity to reconsider the boundaries between conservation and rural development.