Four additional individuals lost their lives following the movement of elephants, which was supervised by two wildlife groups, including one led by Prince Harry, in a safeguarded region in Malawi. The recent casualties bring the overall number of deaths related to the transferred elephants to seven.
In July of 2022, over 250 elephants were transferred from the Liwonde National Park in southern Malawi to Kasungu, the country’s second-largest protected area. This was a joint effort between Malawi’s national park service and two non-governmental organizations: the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) and African Parks. Prince Harry previously served as president of African Parks for six years and was later appointed to the board of directors starting in 2023.
Conservation organizations stated that the transfer of 263 elephants was one of the biggest efforts ever made. They utilized pictures of the process for fundraising and compared the footage of the large animals being lifted by crane to scenes from the beloved Disney movie, Dumbo.
Following the relocation, there were two incidents in which elephants killed individuals in the designated area. Additionally, in September of that same year, a third person was also killed. Local communities raised concerns about the increasing issue of human-wildlife conflict with these African animals, as they often damage crops during raids.
Following the relocation, a prominent member of the community claimed that the wildlife NGOs prioritized animals over people. The installation of an electric fence to safeguard those living near the park was not yet finished, according to the leader. He pointed out that the elephants were moved from a designated area that already had a fence. Ifaw and the Malawian national park service argue that this was a requirement for the translocation. African Parks refuted allegations that the elephants were hastily moved.
Four more individuals have lost their lives to elephant attacks in Kasungu, bringing the overall death toll to seven. Despite ongoing efforts to complete the fence, certain areas remain unfinished. As a result, multiple children have been left without parents and numerous families are facing financial struggles, according to sources at the Guardian. In 2023, Ifaw continued to gather donations by promoting the translocation project. The non-governmental organization stated that their Room to Roam campaign provides a solution to both biodiversity decline and the climate emergency.
In June 2023, 31-year-old Masiye Phiri was fatally injured and her two-year-old child was harmed when they were unexpectedly charged by a male elephant while in a garden on the Malawian side of the park. This occurred after a group had already left the designated park boundaries. In August 2023, Jackson Banda was also killed by an elephant when multiple elephants had once again wandered outside of the park. The following month, Boniface Nkhoma was attacked by elephants while walking on a road at night, as the animals had once again gone beyond the designated park boundaries.
In September 2023, a man named Andrew Phiri, aged 65, was fatally attacked by a male elephant on the Zambian side. Local sources reported a fifth death, but The Guardian was unable to verify the specifics. Ifaw acknowledged seven deaths that have occurred since the elephants were relocated.
Malidadi Langa, leader of a group of villages close to Kasungu National Park in Malawi, expressed support for the relocation of elephants as a way to enhance tourism. He also urged for the establishment of an insurance program to provide compensation for families impacted by the conflict between humans and elephants. Langa emphasized that this issue disproportionately affects impoverished and marginalized families.
Langa stated that, in retrospect, improvements could have been made to avoid and lessen the adverse consequences of the elephant-human relocation. However, the current focus is on identifying solutions.
“While there has been significant advancement in the construction of the electric fence surrounding Kasungu National Park, it is important to also incorporate this type of fencing into policies and legal frameworks. This is necessary due to the fact that Malawi’s protected areas are surrounded by heavily populated areas.”
“We are advocating for the implementation of a human-wildlife conflict insurance program to compensate victims for their losses. This stems from our past experiences with translocation and the fact that this conflict is contributing to inequality by impacting impoverished and marginalized communities who reside in remote areas near the park,” stated the speaker.
According to Ifaw, it is saddened by any harm or harm caused by elephants who have wandered away from Kasungu. The organization collaborates with the governments of Malawi and Zambia to address conflicts between humans and wildlife, and has been offering assistance to communities. They have completed 57 miles of fencing near the park and plan to finish an additional 25 miles by 2024.
“Ifaw operates within the policy and legal framework of the governments of Malawi and Zambia. It is the government’s responsibility to deal with compensation in such matters, although there exists no such legal provision within the law of the two governments. Ifaw is bound to follow protocol in the management of these areas. However, Ifaw works with the governments to support the families tragically affected by human-elephant conflict by providing logistical and financial support – such as food, transport and coffins for the funerals of the deceased,” it said.
The national park service in Malawi reported a significant decrease in conflicts between humans and wildlife in the fenced areas. They also mentioned that they have hired additional staff to protect the community from elephants and denied claims that the first translocation was done without proper safety measures or consideration for local communities.
African Parks, which concluded their participation in the relocation process in the previous year, chose not to make a statement on the matter. They had previously issued a detailed response to media reports in 2022. The prince was not a part of this translocation project with African Parks.
The national park service in Zambia did not reply.
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Source: theguardian.com
