African Parks

At the end of July, African Parks successfully completed the translocation of 263 elephants and 431 additional wildlife including impala, buffalo, warthog, sable and waterbuck from Liwonde to Kasungu National Park, approximately 350kms via road. This historic translocation was done in partnership with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW). It was done as part of a national conservation initiative to maintain healthy habitats in national parks, to establish viable elephant populations, and to ensure the prosperity of local communities surrounding Malawi’s protected areas. The translocation began on June 27th and concluded on July 31st. An additional 947 wildlife were translocated from Liwonde to Mangochi Forest Reserve and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve to boost populations and fast track restoration and biodiversity. 

Liwonde’s elephant numbers had swelled to almost 600, impacting on the park’s biodiversity and increasing the risk of human-elephant conflict situations in surrounding villages. The result of this challenging and massive move will alleviate elephant pressure in and around the park while creating a viable population in Kasungu where, until now, only 120 elephants existed.  At 2,100km2, Kasungu is the second largest national park in Malawi and is four times the size of Liwonde.

We are facing a conservation crisis in Africa, where some of the planet's most spectacular species are being lost. Thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery African Parks is able to continue its mission of ensuring that Africa’s last wild places persist long into the future for the benefit of people and wildlife alike, by taking on the direct responsibility for the rehabilitation and management of protected areas.