In January 2014 we heard that Rowan Martin and Hank Jenkins were tasked with going around Zimbabwe to locate some elephants to be exported to China. They were apparently paid quite well for this and they finally decided on Hwange National Park.
In August 2014 tourists in Hwange National Park started complaining about helicopters flying overhead, frightening the elephant herds. When the herds bolted, the babies left behind were captured and put into a boma in Umtshibi , which is about 15 km from Main Camp in Hwange National Park. These babies were between two and five years old, still dependent on their mothers for milk. Dr. Joyce Poole [noted for elephant research at Amboseli National Park, Kenya] verified the ages of these elephants.
In all, 36 elephants were captured, three of whom died. One of the dead elephants was eaten by the locals. Thereafter, nine escaped and some were recaptured, leaving 27 in the boma. Ten lions were also captured and put into a boma in the same area.
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