More than 250 elephants have been rehomed in Malawi, with the massive beasts being carried upside down to their new national park.
The massive endeavor saw 263 of the animals and 431 other wildlife species, including impala, buffalo, warthog, sable, and waterbuck, relocated from Malawi’s Liwonde National Park to Malawi’s Kasungu National Park, a distance of 250 miles.
As part of the environmental initiative, the elephants have been observed hanging upside down as they were carefully lowered into their new habitat.
It was carried out to assure the survival of healthy ecosystems in Malawi’s national parks, the establishment of viable elephant populations, and the prosperity of local communities surrounding the park.
More than 250 elephants have been rehomed in Malawi, with the massive beasts being carried upside down to their new national park.
The procedure took a month to perform and was finished last week.
Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) spearheaded the initiative in collaboration with African Parks and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
‘We are happy that the exercise was successful, and we congratulate all of the partners who worked tirelessly to complete the task on time,’ said Brighton Kumchedwa, Malawi’s Director of National Parks and Wildlife.
‘The addition of elephants and other animal species to Kasungu National Park would help both Malawi tourists and communities by creating jobs, therefore fueling a conservation-driven economy.’
Kasungu National Park is Malawi’s second biggest national park, measuring 2,100 square kilometers, four times the size of the creature’s former home at Liwonde National Park.
‘We have been working closely with the DNPW in Liwonde since 2015 to provide benefits for people and animals,’ said Sam Kamoto, African Parks’ Country Manager.
‘As a result of the Malawian government’s dedication to this terrain, Liwonde has re-emerged as a park lauded not just for the recovery of its animal populations, but also for its international tourism appeal.’
‘The addition of elephants to Kasungu will help with general tourism in the country, contribute to local jobs, and drive a conservation-led economy,’ said the organization.
Kasungu was home to roughly 1,200 elephants in the 1970s, but poaching reduced their numbers to a distressing 49 by 2015, making this activity very essential in the fight to increase the park’s population.
‘The transfer of elephants and other species is a remarkable success that demonstrates the DNPW’s good approach to collaborating with partners to preserve its natural resources,’ said Patricio Ndadzela, IFAW’s Country Director for Malawi and Zambia.
‘Our collaboration with the Malawian government is not done; IFAW will continue to work at Kasungu to ensure that the park is completely restored to its former grandeur.’
‘We applaud all partners and people who played various roles in making the exercise a success.’
