Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966. Since then, they maintain a tradition of stable representative republic, with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic elections and the best perceived corruption ranking in Africa since at least 1998. Botswana is topographically flat, with up to 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe & Zambia. Formerly one of the poorest countries in the world—with a GDP per capita of about US$70 per year in the late 1960s—Botswana has since transformed itself into one of the world's fastest-growing economies. The economy is dominated by mining, cattle, and tourism. The country's name means "land of the Tswana", referring to the dominant ethnic group in Botswana.. .. more important than anything else - Botswana has more elephants than any other country in Africa - more than 130000 !!.. .. .. but before one could feel happy, there has been news that hundreds of them have been killed, poached and cruelly eliminated.
Tens of thousands once lived in this reserve covering 3,800 sq km (1,470 sq miles), but for centuries it was the nearest place Sudanese horsemen could find ivory, much coveted by Arab traders along the Nile.Originally they hunted with spears and swords, but modern AK47 assault rifles allowed killing on an industrial scale. Janjaweed mercenaries from Dafur, in western Sudan, continue to be the biggest poaching threat, with heavily armed, military-trained raiding parties on horseback targeting the elephant herds for their tusks. Rangers were being killed, animals massacred in large groups, and it looked as if Zakouma's elephants were heading towards extinction. In the past few years, an amazing transformation has taken place. In less than a decade a private, non-profit organisation has turned its fortunes around. African Parks manages some of the toughest to protect parks on the continent, and in Zakouma, at least, it has made incredible progress. ..but there are now fresh worries of poaching and the change in Govt stance that could harm elephant like never before. Sad ! With regards – S. Sampathkumar 26th feb 2019