In a rare and remarkable sighting, four elephants have been spotted near the Zutshwa area in Botswana’s Kgalagadi region, the first time in almost ten years that the giants have been seen roaming this far south.

According to South African National Parks (SANParks) Spokesperson JP Louw, the elephants were seen about 70 kilometres from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, the only major park under SANParks’ management that doesn’t have elephants.

The sighting has been confirmed by Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks, which works with SANParks to manage the cross-border conservation area. The last time elephants ventured this close was in 2015, when a small group briefly passed through before disappearing back into the wilderness.

While the vast, arid plains of the Kalahari are not a typical habitat for elephants, conservationists say this movement could hint at shifting migration patterns or expanding elephant ranges in southern Botswana, possibly driven by changing environmental conditions or the search for new water sources.

–ChannelAfrica–