Hwange National Park is famous for an astounding variety of wildlife, and is reputed to be the best place left in Africa to view large numbers of free roaming elephants. But Hwange is situated in an area that has no natural surface water available during the long dry winter. Without water animals won’t survive.
Friends of Hwange establishes boreholes that tap into bountiful underground water. The boreholes are equipped with solar powered pumps that supply water to surface pans. During the dry season, animal pressure around the water points becomes extreme, so vigilant upkeep of the pans is vital.
Batteries to Boost Water Supplies
It goes without saying that solar energy is effective during daylight hours only because sunlight is the source of energy. In HNP, the solar water pumps activate at about 8h00 in the morning, and in the dry season they switch off towards evening at about 17h00. One can see the disappointment and disgust in the animals’ body language when the “Bar Service” closes come evening!
Elephants love cool, fresh water, and will compete for a chance to slurp it up as soon as it comes out of the ground. Asides from needing large volumes to drink to aid their digestion, water is an obvious source of pleasure. They’ll cavort and bathe extensively if they can. At the height of the dry season, when temperatures are extreme, their huge bulk creates a problem with thermoregulation, and a cooling bathe helps them shed excess heat. Elephants don’t sweat as that would result in excessive loss of water. Instead, their skin is deeply pitted and finely channelled, and a dust bath after their swim ensures a dry mud pack that traps water to keep them cool. In addition, their huge ears that are heavily laced with blood vessels act as large radiators shedding unwanted heat into the atmosphere.
Being forced to drink in the heat of the day, exposes elephants to the scorching sun with resultant overheating. It would be far better for them to spend that time resting in the shade. Drinking at night when it’s cool saves their dwindling energy reserves at a time of year when the quality of the vegetation is poor.
Thankfully, the answer to this conundrum is at hand! Advancement in battery technology means we can now use battery systems to pump water throughout night. This comes at a price though.
We already have a solar array erected at each borehole to pump water by day, but an additional array is needed to charge the batteries that will power the pumps at night. The existing inverter must be upgraded, and the system protected from theft – no mean feat for a battery system as big as a large suitcase that weighs several hundred kilograms. The batteries are mounted onto the stand that holds the solar array and secured in a steel cage well above ground level.
It makes sense to pump fresh water for elephants at night. There are many pans in a vast area to consider. Contributions towards this work are most gratefully welcome.
