It is estimated that there are around 150 desert-adapted elephants in Namibia, who mainly live around the dry riverbeds in southern Kunene and the north-west of the country. Wildlife Vets Namibia, in its latest newsletter, aimed to explain the fascinating physiology of Namibian desert-adapted elephants and how these giants survive in harsh climates. "It is important to know that desert-adapted elephants are not a subspecies," it said. Wildlife Vets explained that just like all other elephants in Namibia, they are also African Savanna elephants. "What makes the desert elephants so special is the fact that they have learnt to survive in an extremely harsh climate. The long distances they have to travel, together with a high learning capacity, made them develop small physical and behavioural adaptations to cope with the extreme temperatures, low rainfall and difficult terrain."