Satellite tracking of elephants in northwestern Namibia

Satellite tracking of elephants was found to be a valuable tool despite numerous technical problems. A local reference beacon is vital for obtaining an adequate number of accurate locations. Two out of ten satellite transmitters failed within two months of deployment, but an average of one location per collar transmitter was obtained every 3.4 days for the period October 1987-May 1988. The study was made in the wet season in northwestern Namibia. Seasonal home ranges of elephants as determined by satellite tracking were larger than recorded elsewhere in Africa (c. 5800-8700km²). Elephants from Etosha National Park moved to within 20 km of the Angolan border, and elephants in the Kaokoveld moved across previous bioclimatic demarcations of populations. The validity of previous classifications of elephants into discrete populations in northwestern Namibia is questioned.