Against the odds, parts of the Okavango Delta have seen a localized rise in elephant numbers over the past 15 years, largely driven by elephants moving in from less hospitable areas. For photographic tourists, this is wonderful news. For local villagers in the Okavango Delta panhandle in Botswana, however, the surge brings serious challenges. Farmland is increasingly vulnerable to crop-raiding by elephants, and people face a higher risk of dangerous encounters.
To help reduce this human–wildlife conflict, we partnered with EcoExist and the Okavango Community Trust to launch the Elephant Express. Over the past five years, four specially funded buses have safely transported schoolchildren through known “elephant highways”—routes where elephants and people are most likely to meet.
We have also built 10 weatherproof bus shelters that double as conservation education hubs, sharing messages about living alongside wildlife. Children from Eretsha, Beetsha, and Gunotsoga schools now travel to and from class safely, while health-care workers and patients use the buses during school hours to reach clinics in Gudigwa, Seronga, and Beetsha.
The results speak for themselves: school attendance and academic performance have improved year after year. To meet growing demand, we are now working working to add a fifth bus so every child in need can get to school safely and on time
