San Diego Zoo to study movements of African elephants

The San Diego Zoo has begun a project to study the movement of elephant herds over a 50,000-square-mile area encompassing the African nations of Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The study is meant to monitor the impact of herds on various habitats from desert to riverine. So far, 60 elephants have been outfitted with global positioning system collars to track their movements.

Among other things, the study will increase the understanding of elephant biology and help improve the management of elephants in zoos, officials said.

-- Tony Perry, San Diego

Photo: Elephants in South Africa. Credit: Associated Press.