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Park to preserve

PHOTO: V. V. KRISHNAN

CONSERVATION ZONE: Creating space for the elephant.

Environment ministers from five southern African countries plan to turn a 110,833-square-mile chunk of land into a massive cross-border conservation zone. The proposed parkland would vastly increase roaming space for Africa's biggest elephant herd. Estimated at 150,000 animals, the elephants presently concentrate in northern Botswana, where they heavily impact local vegetation. Willem van Riet, chief executive of the South Africa-based Peace Parks Foundation, said the proposed project would be a turning point for the entire region, fostering joint tourism development and nature conservation. The proposed conservation area would be called the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area and would centre heavily on the area's river systems.

COMPILED BY ROHINI RAMAKRISHNAN

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