Botswana: Eland Could Be the Next Kgomo

Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)

29 August 2007
Posted to the web 29 August 2007

Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe


The Wildlife Department is engaged in an interesting exercise that will soon see Botswana becoming the first country in the world to have a rare wild animal, the eland as a farm animal.

For years, the eland or 'phofu' in Setswana has remained one of the most endangered species that can never be hunted. It is rarely seen too due to its dwindling population in the wild.


The picture could soon change though thanks to a pilot project by the Wildlife Department that aims at not only breeding more eland, but to domesticate them for the benefit of local communities.

The eland is a huge beast, much bigger than your average cow. It is not only a rare wild animal to find in Botswana, but there are myths about this wild animal worshipped by the San for thousands of years.

Its images appear most frequently on San cave rock paintings across Africa. The ancient San believed this animal was sacred and that it possessed supernatural powers. It was literally worshipped as a god.

Who would have thought that this wild animal would one day be tamed to join domesticated animals under the care of local farmers?

The wildlife department has steered a pilot project aimed at taming this kgomo -like beast into the pastoral life of Batswana, and things are going fine. The animal has already been milked like a cow and its milk enjoyed by those responsible for taming it. It has also been trained to pull sledges, as well as to communicate with its herd boys.

At the just ended Kweneng North Agricultural District show in Lentswe Le Tau, domesticated elands were on show to enlighten farmers about the pilot project, now on going at Dithopho farm, 20 km west of Lephephe. Inquisitive faces at the Lentswe le Tau show saw a bull, and three female elands with two calves. One of the calves was brand new having been born the previous night. The animals looked calm, and were fed water from the trawl as the crowd watched inquisitively.

According to Gami Gabriel, a senior wildlife scout in Molepolole, no one has embarked on taming the animals before, but their pilot project is aimed at eventually handing the domesticated eland over to the Lentsweletau community to benefit from them.

The area MP, Moeng Pheto, said he was aware of the pilot project, which he hoped, would boost his area as a tourists destination as the eland is a rare species.

Gabriel says taking care of the eland is not different from taking care of cattle as both animals have a lot of similarities. However, he said in their pilot project, they have observed that the male eland has a shorter life span than its female counter part. "Like cattle, elands are also susceptible to drought. They need to be fed in drought years," he told his audience as they watched the animals in their makeshift kraal at the show.



The eland stall seemed to excite people most as many of them were seeing this wild animal for the very first time. People raised one question after the other as they wanted to learn from the wildlife officers how they could be helped to keep their own elands.

One thing is clear, in the next few years, people in this country will be able to make a choice between rearing cattle as it is the tradition and the new venture, keeping elands, as domesticated animals.

Gabriel, the wildlife official at the show says this is one area of diversification they are convinced they can contribute just like they did with the taming of guinea fowls.

Kathi:

This and another B.S. story about Angola's giant sables on allafrica.com can be seen on allafrica.com.

As everyone on this forum knows, elands are not endangered in southern Africa and giant sables are not a "new species." I wish there were a way we could write letters to the editors of those misinformed newspapers.

Incidentally, a rancher in southern Arizona traded raising elands for their meat and hides more than 20 years ago, but eventually shut down his operation because he couldn't market his products.

Bill Quimby

Posted 30 August 2007 06:43 Hide Post

THIS IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY ABOVE. I HIT "SEND" BEFORE EDITING IT:

Kathi:

This and another B.S. story about Angola's giant sables can be seen on allafrica.com.

As everyone on this forum knows, elands are not endangered in southern Africa and giant sables are not a "new species." I wish there were a way we could write letters to the editors of those misinformed newspapers.

Incidentally, a rancher near a southern Arizona town called Arivaca tried raising elands for their meat and skins more than 20 years ago, but he shut down his operation when he couldn't market his products.

Bill Quimby

Farmed Eland have been on the radar for a while...even tried in Russia so I have been told.

As for domesticated Guinea fowl...worse thing that could happen to wild birds due to cross breading and 'softening' (for lack of a better term) of wild populations...

They're spending too much time drinking Scud.