Debbie Logan

A Viewpoint on Africa – Biodiversity in Two Countries from the Eye of a Casual Observer

Life in Botswana

I awake to the golden red glow of the sun slipping above the horizon where the skyline is papyrus and water. Birds are singing and a troupe of monkeys chatter and screech as they begin their day of foraging in the treetops above the Okavango River. Hippos that have been out of the river, grazing under the cover of night, have returned to the sanctuary of the deep water. A concert of birdcalls fills the pure, fresh air. This is Botswana where I have lived for the past five years.

Botswana is in Southern Africa, on the northern border of the country of South Africa. Roughly equivalent to the size of France, Botswana is home to approximately 2 million people and diverse and thriving populations of wildlife. Many of the residents of Botswana live a pastoral village life. Much of Ngamiland, where I live, is populated with remote villages and the livestock of the villagers. Although an occasional elephant or zebra can be seen along the roadside in Ngamiland, this is an uncommon sight. The rich populations of game animals are found primarily in the game reserve areas.

Having a low impact, high dollar tourism scheme, Botswana offers safari participants a chance to experience the true remote vistas of Africa and the thrill of encounters with the legendary beasts of the bush. Healthy populations of elephant, buffalo and giraffe traverse the seemingly endless flood plains and acacia islands that make up the terrain of the Okavango Delta region. Zebra, kudu, impala and wildebeest are the primary plains/veld game of the delta where lion may be lurking behind any bush or termite mound and the throaty nocturnal calls of leopards set off the booming alarm calls of baboons. The predators in the Okavango Delta leave their calling card; skulls, horns and bones scattered on the ground mark the site of their meal.

Life in Mali

In another country in Africa, far to the north of Botswana, milling crowds pack the marketplace where another type of predator has left its calling card. Beneath the tattered awning of a market stall, skulls, horns and bones are arranged in stacks and bundles. Fur and fangs, feet and tails create a grisly displays found in the fetish stalls outside the Artisana Marketplace in the bustling city of Bamako, the capitol city of Mali in West Africa. These wares are offered for sale as juju, talismans and totems to the crowds of Bamako, a city that approximately 3 million people call home.

The country of Mali is roughly twice the size of the state of Texas, with a population of close to 14 million. While statistically 90% of the population is Muslim, indigenous religions including Animism thrive. Animists believe in totems and the sacredness of certain stones, trees, birds and animals. Juju magic is practiced among many Malians and many believe in the power of talismans. The fetish stalls offer goods for sale that would be illegal to sell in Botswana. In the Artisana Market area proper, one can also find the skins of exotic cats, large snakes and rare antelope.

In Botswana, small cats and catlike creatures such as genets, servals , caracals and the African Wildcat are appreciated for their antics and are generally unmolested by the locals. While in Mali, small wildcats are often appreciated for their spirits, which are captured by their death. The stuffed bodies of indigenous small cats hang from trees where tourists park their cars near the entrance to a Dogon village. The village lies in the rocky hill area of the Bandiagara Escarpment in the northeastern part of Mali near the border of Burkina Faso. At the headman’s home, nearly a dozen of the totem animals dangle from the outside rafters.

The pressure of human population in Mali has decimated the country’s wild life. Hunger and religious beliefs drive the West African human hunters to pursue even the smallest rodent. Sculls of large rats are displayed as part of a symbolic design in the sacred areas in the cliffs of the Dogon area. A Dogon hunter, part of a hunting party coming down from the hills with their rifles, carries a small rodent the size of chipmunk in his hunting pouch. The small mammal will provide a morsel of meat for his family.

In a conversation with a nomadic Tuareg, in the dunes of the Sahara, I learned that an occasional gazelle might be spotted in the desert, however this is a rarity. My nomadic friend was fascinated by a Botswana postage stamp in my possession that showed the magnificent head and horns of a male kudu antelope. He marveled that such a magnificent wild animal existed.

During my travels in Mali, I kept an eye out for birds and mammals. Although there are a lot of beautiful birds to be seen in the bush in Mali, the sight of a wild mammal of any size is a rarity. I saw only an occasional small hare scamper into the bush. On the mighty Niger River, where the pressure of fishing, washing, bathing and boat traffic is never-ending, the crocodile and the hippo truly seemed to be mythical beasts. In the pure, clear water of the Okavango River in Botswana, the hippo and crocodile are still the lords of the realm.

Protection is Essential

In Botswana, on the mighty Okavango River, I have many times been witness to great breeding herds of elephant, numbering as many as three hundred individuals. Although licensed trophy hunting takes a few of their numbers each year, the animals thrive. In addition to trophy hunting by tourists, resident hunters who are issued licenses to take animals such as impala for the pot, stalk some of Botswana’s wild animals. Although an area of contention and a subject of debate, trophy hunting is strongly controlled in Botswana. Penalties for poaching are severe and the Botswana Wildlife Department closely monitors any activity connected to the collection, transportation or hunting of Botswana’s wildlife. An efficient and dedicated government department, such as is found in Botswana, is a crucial element in the conservation of indigenous wildlife.

Although Malian wildlife is subject to intense pressure, there is still hope for the preservation of the animals. In an area near Lake Gossi, in the northern region of Mali, a herd of indigenous West African Elephants wanders, protected. These elephants form the northernmost herds in Africa and are the only remaining population to live strictly in the Sahel desert region. These elephants have the longest recorded migration routes in Africa, due to the great distances between their water sources. Current wildlife counts total approximately 350 to 400 elephants remaining in the area, while herds of 1,000 were recorded in the late 1970’s. The decline in numbers is due to the failing of once permanent water sources as the desert spreads slowly south.

Fortunately, the current respect shown to these elephants by the local human inhabitants is exceptional. The nomadic Tuareg and Fulani tribes that inhabit the region have historically coexisted peacefully with the elephant herds and do not hunt or harm them. At this time, the only existing conflict between the human tribes and animal herds stems from their respective dependency on the precious water sources in the region. The threat caused by the climatic changes that continue to dry up water sources places the elephants of the Sahel at risk, as does the trend of changing lifestyle of the nomadic tribes. As the people gradually become more settled and dependent on agriculture the competition for the remaining water increases. The worry also exists that the international CITES rules banning the ivory trade will be eventually be relaxed and if so, the elephants will be further threatened.

It is hoped that the elephants of the Sahel will attract tourists who will visit the area, bringing income that will profit the region as well as the elephants. In contrast to the magnificent herds of Botswana, the small population of Malian elephants may seem insignificant. However, the efforts to conserve and protect the herd is a step in the right direction for Mali.

Culture Play a Major Role

In Botswana as well as Mali, domestic livestock is integral to the health and wealth of the people. Great herds of cattle and smaller ruminants dot the landscape in both countries; goats are most abundant in Botswana while sheep are preferred in Mali. It is interesting to note that while most wild animals are greatly feared or hunted mercilessly in Mali, their domestic counterparts are greatly revered and as rule receive the best care possible from their masters. In one of the poorest countries in Africa, with an average per capita income of approximately to $1.25 per day, even the poorest Malians will feed and care for the animals that work for them. Horses, donkeys and bullocks provide much of the local transportation, pulling carts to market or plowing the fields. It is unusual to see galls from poorly fitting harnesses or saddle sores on the animals. Likewise it is unusual to witness whipping or abuse of the animals.

Unfortunately, the residents of Botswana are not as sympathetic to the needs of their livestock. Although domestic animals, especially cattle, are a prized symbol of wealth in the country, it is unusual to observe fodder being cut for animals in dry times when grass is scarce, or to see people washing and grooming their animals as is common in Mali. During the dry season in Botswana, it is a common sight to see skeletal, starving donkeys foraging on cardboard boxes dragged from rubbish bins along the side of the road. More often than not, the animals’ front legs are tightly hobbled and rubbed raw, with flies clustering on the open sores. Although animals are hobbled in Mali, they are as a rule more closely attended and humanely looked after.

With respect to the peoples of both countries, differing religious and cultural views of the peoples, as well as the pressures of providing food, shelter and health care, affects the wellbeing of not only the human population, but also both the wild and domestic animals in Botswana and Mali. As an experienced visitor, my viewpoint is personal and stems from my casual observations in contrast to an organized gathering of data.

Debbie Logan has trained, shown, judged, and written about Arabian horses all her adult life. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, she went on a horseback safari in the Okavango Delta of Botswana, which led to her moving to Botswana to manage the safari horses.  While there she bought an interest in Nxamaseri Island Fishing lodge where she has a gift shop featuring African art.  She travels throughout Africa to collect items for her shop, and has been leading horseback trips to Timbuktu and the Sahara in Mali. She lives in Nxamaseri.