The project is headed by Hank Bertschinger from Pretoria University's Onderstepoort faculty of vterinary science and his team includes American researchers.

Between 1967 and 1994, about 500 elephants were culled in the park to prevent overcrowding and this policy has attracted considerable criticism. The aim of the project, according to Professor Bertschinger, is to find an alternative means of population control which could reduce or even end the annual cull.

The notebooks are used to collect and analyse data during field trials. Being able to work on the move saves the research team time and effort.

Webmaster's note:
The notebooks are provided by Digitec, who also host a web site http://www.diggers.com/conserve for those interested in finding out more about the project.