This Peace Parks TV episode sneaks a peek into the intriguing mysteries of elephant behaviour in Mozambique’s Maputo National Park as they search for the perfect safe and shady spot. Rodolfo Cumbane, Park Conservationist, shares his knowledge of the wheres and whys of elephant wanderings, which are key to better understanding their needs, and the complexities of life alongside local communities.
Rodolfo pinpoints the popular hideaway, in a forest between the community of Tchia and Maputo National Park. In this case, their den of choice is located far from the communities, within the ‘buffer zone’ surrounding the park where land uses transition, and settlements can be found.
“We jokingly describe this place as an elephant room!” exclaims Rodolfo. “The elephants retreat for about 4km until they find their ideal area to rest.” There are a several key clues as to why they have chosen this particular den location.
At the entrance, the absence of grass is evident, indicating the elephants’ frequent movements in and out of the cave like den. When the sun beats down on the open savanna, the herd wisely seeks relief from the scorching heat, making a beeline for leafy trees where solar radiation is low.
Den choice is strategic in other ways. Female elephants, known as cows, have a matriarch who leads the herd – which the adult bull elephants do not generally join. At the onset of the mating period, the bull elephant stays with the cows, positioning himself in the corner of the den to ensure that the herd is protected on all sides.
Adult elephants, weighing between 3,000 and 5,000 kg, need to forage widely for huge amounts of food. Given the long distances that elephants must travel, herds will have a number of different dens, distributed widely, where they retreat to when needed.
Delving into the subtleties of wild elephant behaviour is no easy task, but Rodolfo’s experience and observations help the parks’ teams to fill gaps in vital knowledge which can better inform beneficial conservation and management strategies. Sharing knowledge of habitats and movement patterns, and how their paths might cross with communities living in the park’s surrounds, also allows park staff to better predict and prevent potential human-wildlife conflict. Together, teams can work to secure a peaceful and thriving coexistence between communities and these intelligent creatures.
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