IAIN DOUGLAS-HAMILTON: Mali is home
to the northernmost elephants in Africa.
They once ranged from the coastal waters of Guinea
to the Nile River in Egypt.
There are roughly 500 of these Sahelian desert elephants
living in an area called the Gourma.
This photo by David Coulson shows
what was once a rich savanna landscape, abounding
with all the plains game typical of Africa, like gazelles,
giraffe, lions, and of course elephants.
Elephants are no strangers to climate change.
The image of the Trust for African Rock Art
shows us that 10,000 years ago elephants
were common in many parts of the desert.
This elephant was captured by ancient artists showing
the long legged stride that is still
typical of its descendants today.
Since 1970, the range of elephants
has declined following terrible droughts that dried up
the seasonal lakes to the west.
Drought has also led to nomads settling in one place
and has put additional pressure on the remaining resources.
The range in 2009 is now a fraction of its former self.
We learn about elephant choices and needs
by watching their movements.
Over time, we can build up a picture
of what is important to them and what challenges they face.
Save the Elephants tracks elephants with high tech GPS
collars linked to the internet through a satellite phone
network.
These collars provide hourly updates of elephant locations.
Here we see positions of two bull elephants
being sent by their collars.
The Mali elephants are the northernmost in Africa
and have what we believe is the longest migration pattern
of anywhere on the continent.
Living in the Sahel, on the shores of the Sahara,
they are extremely vulnerable to climate change.
Daytime temperatures can soar up to 50 degrees
during the hot season.
Sandstorms are frequent in the lead up
to the start of the rains at the end of May.
Our tracking data is showing survival of the Gourma
elephants is directly linked to the water
cycle and the elephants' ability to access surface water.
The Gourma region gets only one rainy season each year,
which serves to recharge a series of shallow lakes
which holds surface water for the rest of the year.
From January onwards, as the hot season progresses,
a number of these lakes dry up, concentrating the elephants
in a few areas.
By May, one lake in particular is the central point
for nearly all elephant herds in the Gourma.
Called Banzena, it also provides water
to thousands of livestock and herdsmen.
The struggle for water got worse in March 2008,
during a Save the Elephants collaring mission.
Our team received news of elephants
that had become trapped in a shallow well
while migrating to Banzena.
A third of the way into a 120 kilometer
trip, they had attempted to drink
from a series of shallow wells dug by herdsmen for cattle,
and four of them had slipped in and become stuck.
The elephants had spent three days trapped in the hole.
One had already died.
Our team worked frantically to free the surviving three,
using trucks and ropes.
Two of the infants were so exhausted they could not stand.
Later, they would both regain their feet.
But without the leadership of their family
and miles from water, at least one of them would die.
A larger female was also pulled free, and surprised everybody
when she regained her feet straight away.
A tracking collar attached around her neck
would later show us that she sprinted 80 kilometers
to Banzena in a desperate bid to find water and rejoin
her family.
The fate of the Mali elephants hangs
in the regularity of the water cycle
and their ability to find water at critical times of the year.
Minor disruption to the climate in the Sahel
could have disastrous consequences
for their population.
Such a disruption occurred recently
when the rains failed in 2008 and led to a water shortage
across the Gourma.
In early 2009, Banzena, which normally holds water
throughout the year, dried up completely,
leaving herds of elephants and thousands of cattle
desperate for water.
The Mali government was forced to pump water
for the elephants.
In an effort to help them, Save the Elephants
contributed by building a concrete reservoir
to hold this water and supplied diesel fuel for pumping.
Despite the efforts, it was early rains that saved the day
and gave the elephants another chance.
The Tuareg word for water, "aman," is a synonym for life.
Climate change, exacerbated by too many livestock,
will disrupt life in the Sahel.
This threatens the fate of the last Sahelian elephants.
By tracking their movements, we can better
understand their needs.
Save the Elephants provides the Mali government with vital data
for better land use planning.
To learn more about Save the Elephants, please
visit our website.
We need your support to secure their future.