 Photo kind permission of Chris Pitot Two years ago last month, legendary Namibian desert elephant Voortrekker, pioneer of the Damaraland desert elephant population was shot. He was killed as a trophy, under the guise of being a problem animal. Another casualty of that day was man’s inability to associate Voortrekker with sustainable tourism value, community benefit, ecological integrity or a sense of wonder. Instead he was killed for short term greed. Some friends have asked me to re-post an article that I wrote a few days before the incident. Unfortunately it turned out to be prophetic. Here it is ..... Amidst an iconic and ever-changing desert landscape, legendary Namibian elephant bull Voortrekker has a story to tell. It goes something like this. During the turbulent war years of southern Africa that preceded Namibian independence, the desert elephant population was virtually decimated. Some found refuge from the poacher’s guns deep within the remote and desolate gorges of Kaokoveld in the north. As a result, the Ugab and Huab River systems, the southernmost ephemeral waterways of Damaraland, were devoid of elephants for well over a decade. Voortrekker, one of the bulls to trek north during the conflict years, returned home in the early 2000’s, commencing a relay of south-bound expeditions, penetrating deeper and deeper into the dry and uncertain landscape before commencing with an epic traverse through to the relative bounty of the Ugab River. It was a marathon across arid plains and ancient craters that would ultimately redefine what we know of elephant endurance, intuition and behaviour. Just how he navigated, or knew where to find water, is anyone’s guess. But his legacy does not end there. For over two successive summer seasons he returned north, returning each time to the Ugab with a small family unit in tow. An elephant patriarch. These elephants are still resident in the region and have formed the nucleus of three distinct breeding herds, making the Ugab/Huab Rivers perhaps the most viable desert elephant habitats in the world. Voortrekker continues as the Godfather, a true legend of the Ugab. His ancestral knowledge has been passed down to a new generation of desert dwellers. What a legacy! For me, all of this addresses one of the most crucial fallacies of elephant conservation, trophy hunting, and the notion of sustainable consumption: that older bulls have no value to an elephant community and can be hunted under the banner of ecological benefit. This is a fundamental calamity. If Voortrekker’s right of way is conserved, then so too will a vast landscape of conservation, employment, education, financial viability , hope and possibility. ELEGEND. He is actually showing us the way if we take a moment to realise it. And is precisely why Voortrekker’s story needs to be told to a wider audience. I invite you to share widely. Elephant, generally, are considered as a keystone of an ecological circuit, but THIS elephant could be considered as a keystone of elephant consciousness. READ MORE >>>>. https://www.alanmcsmith.com/blog/june-13th-20214530153
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With the pace of modern society and the availability of information and stimulation around us, we allow ourselves to be swamped by social media triggers. We may mistake this instant availability of information for comfort or solace, or perhaps efficiency. Necessary data in order to keep pace with our society and up with the Jones's. We invariable then live either in the past (memory), or the future (imagination) and we bypass the opportunity for a sense of stillness which exists in appreciating the moment. I believe that the greatest desire that drives or motivates a human being, and particularly within challenging times, is the desire for stillness. To be peaceful in the moment. To create some distance between what we think, and what we think what we should think of. This is what nature does, it can create restorative moments to sink down within. Stillness is not about what has happened in our past, or what could happen in the future. It's in the moment. Doesn't our world need more of this? After many long hours of training courses, interpretation safaris and motivational talks in support of elephant conservation, it’s all about the share ... to platform a higher degree of awareness.Not only for the sake of elephant conservation, but for the sake of the degradation of the human spirit that occurs without the influence of wilderness. Empathetic encounters with wild elephant like this are incredibly rewarding. And therefore, humbling. The feed the source of commitment and empathy to all nature, the folk around us and our environment. This in turn inspires conservation ambassadors. |
Photo credit: Christin Winter
AuthorWilderness is not a place, it's a way of life. And then there are elephants. Archives
March 2022
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