On the trail of cranes

With an estimated fewer than 8,000 left in the world, Wattled Cranes are listed by the IUCN as a vulnerable species. This largest and rarest of African cranes relies on wetlands, especially for breeding, and the largest single population in the world is found in the Okavango Delta. What makes understanding and conserving these cranes so important is that they’re an indicator species for the health of the wider ecosystem—if they are disappearing, their habitats probably are too.

Wattled Cranes are generally nonmigratory, but they do move according to water availability. Being able to track their movement will give researcher Charles Mpofu an idea of which other nearby areas they inhabit, and he can use that information to help secure protections for any previously unrealized pristine wetlands that are connected to the ecosystem. This is one of the key aims of Okavango Eternal: To survey and protect habitats beyond the Delta, helping to ensure that the entire ecosystem remains healthy—and cranes could show the way. A key threat to cranes is wetland habitat loss―in this case, loss resulting from changes in hydrology, such as water diversion, development, and changes in agricultural land use.

National Geographic Explorer Charles Mpofu is dressed for the part in his crane study gear. Currently a researcher at Botswana Wild Bird Trust, Charles specializes in the study of Wattled Cranes, and is now leading the first extensive study of the species in Botswana in over a decade. Supported by the Okavango Eternal partnership between National Geographic and De Beers, Charles assembled a crack team of experts and citizen scientists to head into the Delta for the first part of his survey—to find Wattled Cranes and employ technology to help track their movements.

While drones might give you an eye in the sky, they don’t have the capacity to independently track a crane. Luckily a solution lies in some cutting-edge technology: Charles Mpofu and his team will rely on GPS tracking devices small enough to be placed on the birds’ backs. These backpacks are solar-powered and able to last for months while they transmit positional data to researchers via satellite. They also weigh less than one percent of the bird’s body weight—fulfilling a very important mandate not to stress the animal being studied.

Finding Wattled Cranes means living in the Okavango Delta, being able to navigate the landscape, and knowing where the cranes are and what to do once you actually spot them. Charles Mpofu assembled the right experts for every aspect of the trip, each bringing their own knowledge to the project. From left to right: Goitsemodimo Mosarwa, Connect Anti-Poaching Unit ranger; Abigail Itshepiseng Samuel, local guide; Charles Mpofu; Lara Jordan, conservationist; Bernard Tomeletso (BT), local guide; and Naledi Kgoba, Connect Anti-Poaching ranger.

Local guide Abigail Itshepiseng Samuel is at ease in a region of the Delta she calls home. All the technology in the world simply can’t compare to local knowledge when it comes to surviving in wild places. Coming from nearby Morutsha village, Abigail grew up in this part of the Delta, and deftly guided the team to areas where she had spotted Wattled Cranes in the weeks leading up to the trip.

Aviculturist and African crane conservationist Lara Jordan has been studying, handling, and rearing birds for over 15 years, but this is her first time in Botswana. Lara saw the trip as a great opportunity to lend her expertise, experience the Delta, and actively participate in the resurgence of studying Wattled Cranes in the region.

Charles Mpofu and Lara Jordan practice setting rope mats at their camp. The team is careful when catching Wattled Cranes to follow protocols and capture methods that strictly ensure the safety and comfort of the wildlife. The rope mat method involves fishing-line hoops attached to a line of rope placed along the ground—the team places a string of them on the ground, then waits in a hide to see if any cranes step into them. This way a team member can attend to the crane immediately―affixing the GPS pack and then quickly releasing the crane again. If no cranes are captured here, the team will collect the mats and set them up somewhere else.

Bernard Tomeletso, known as BT, was born and raised in the Delta. His extensive ecological knowledge, as well as keen bush skills, knowledge of wildlife behavior, and navigation abilities make him an invaluable part of these research trips. So valuable in fact, that Bernard is a member of the Botswana Wild Bird Trust—which locally implements the work of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project—making him a key figure in planning and executing future research trips.

The Delta can be a contemplative place, which lends itself well to the reality of spotting and catching cranes. Over hours and days, team members sat in hides, under trees, and sneaking under cover of darkness in their attempts to place a tracker on a Wattled Crane. But the reality is that fieldwork doesn’t always go to plan, and the wild can’t be tamed―even in the name of conservation. After ten days of hard work last May, the team spotted many cranes, but were unable to catch one to track.

It’s often said that you learn more from failure than success, and Charles Mpofu’s first expedition to capture and track a crane is a case in point: The team has gathered valuable experience and data on the behavior of Wattled Cranes, though, along with the environment in which they’re found. After a brief rest and a reset, Charles will return in July this year, closer to breeding season, and plans to stay as long as it takes to track a group of cranes.

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