Capon Sibanda races against time, his bicycle a blur against the backdrop of Zimbabwe's landscape. His mission: to warn villagers near Hwange National Park of approaching elephants. Armed with GPS-triggered alerts from a new tracking system, Sibanda disseminates warnings through WhatsApp groups and pedals to remote areas where phones and internet access are scarce.
This innovative system, launched last year by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, tracks elephants fitted with GPS collars. The goal is simple but crucial: prevent dangerous encounters between humans and elephants. These encounters are becoming increasingly frequent as climate change exacerbates competition for dwindling resources like food and water.
