Trail Cameras Capture 529 Elephants Using Tanzania's First Protected Wildlife Corridor
The nearly 9-mile corridor reconnects savanna herds with the Udzungwa Mountains.
Proof that a corridor works: trail cameras have recorded 529 elephants moving through Tanzania's first protected wildlife corridor, according to Good Good Good.
The nearly 9-mile corridor links the country's savanna lowlands with the forests of the Udzungwa Mountains. Farms and settlements had split the two habitats, cutting elephants off from food, water and each other.
Why corridors matter
Animals that can move between habitats can find mates outside their immediate group, which keeps populations genetically healthy. They can also follow food and water as seasons change, and they are less likely to wander through farms, which reduces conflict with people.
Corridors catching on
The idea is spreading. In California's Mojave Desert, the Mojave Desert Land Trust has secured funding to plan and build two wildlife crossings for mountain lions near Joshua Tree, after a young male lion was killed on a state road. Researchers have begun surveying the area, though construction is still years away.
The Tanzania numbers add to the hopeful picture in WWF's new Living Planet Report, which found many African elephant populations stable or growing.