According to the Washington File, recently settled Tuareg and Peuhl groups in Mali have made it difficult for Gourma elephants to continue to survive in the region, especially during periods of drought. U.S. Ambassador to Mali Vicki Huddleston is raising money to protect the 350 remaining elephants’ pastures from human settlement, and to improve existing reserve efforts. National Geographic and others institutions recognize, however, the former symbiotic relationship the elephants and the Tuareg and Peuhl groups, and the possibility of bringing development to the area in a way to both benefit people and protect the wildlife. Both groups value the herds as a sort of talisman. According to Huddleston, local people are willing to help maintain the elephant populations, but lack the resources and training to undertake the task. Conservationists and other groups supporting the Tuareg and Peuhl are therefore seeking to develop a relationship in order to exchange knowledge and combine their efforts.
