Elephants on the march across African borders as fatalities are on the rise

A dead elephant in the Hwange national park, Zimbabwe. Elephants are migrating to neighbouring Botswana in their hunt for water. Photograph: AP

The climate crisis is pushing elephants on a forced migration across borders in southern Africa in search of water, creating problems for national parks and conservation efforts.

In recent weeks, Zimbabwe’s elephants have been crossing the country’s borders into Botswana, officials said on Tuesday. Exactly how many elephants are affected is not yet known. The development comes as a survey this month revealed that elephants have been dying in greater numbers than usual in the region leading to theories of poaching being on the rise. Some have suggested heat stress could be taking a toll on the animals.