In a rural region on the border between Malawi and Zambia, local farming communities are preparing to take legal action against an international conservation group over the relocation of more than 260 elephants to their area. According to reports by lawyers representing these communities, the elephants have caused the death of at least 12 individuals, injured others, and led to significant destruction of crops and property, instilling fear in thousands of residents.
The British law firm Leigh Day is advocating on behalf of ten individuals residing near Kasungu National Park, located at the Malawi-Zambia border. These individuals claim their lives have been severely impacted since the elephants were introduced to the park in 2022. The world’s largest land animals have not adhered to the human-defined boundaries intended to confine them, having breached fences and invaded nearby agricultural communities in search of food and water, resulting in fatalities and extensive damage.
A local non-profit recorded over 11,000 people affected by elephants, with damage estimates running into millions of dollars. Many community members are now struggling to sustain their families due to the devastation of their livelihoods. “They say the action prioritized the elephants’ wellbeing over local communities,” remarked Leigh Day.
The community is directing their grievances at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), a prominent U.S.-based conservation charity that supported the elephant relocation. The lawyers have reached out to IFAW offices in the U.K., Malawi, and Zambia, and warn of potential legal action in a British court if engagement doesn’t ensue.
IFAW has expressed regret over any human-wildlife conflicts around Kasungu but denied any wrongdoing. The organization stated their involvement was limited to offering financial and technical assistance, with the Malawian government, through its Department of National Parks and Wildlife, holding responsibility over the national parks and wildlife.
The relocation operation drew expertise from multiple entities, IFAW clarified in a statement. However, Malawi’s parks department has not responded to inquiries about the elephant-related issues in Kasungu.
The situation mirrors the challenges faced by many African nations, striving to balance wildlife conservation with the impacts on human communities sharing these habitats. While elephant populations have surged in some regions following decades of conservation efforts, the new challenge lies in ensuring peaceful coexistence between these growing populations and humans.
With climate change increasingly intensifying competition for resources like food and water, elephants, in particular, pose a significant threat due to their dietary needs. Adult elephants can consume 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of vegetation and up to 200 liters of water daily and possess the capability to uproot trees, ruin crop fields, and damage infrastructure in their quest for sustenance.
In some African nations, elephant culling or regulated hunting has been deployed as population control measures. These practices sometimes face criticism, vividly articulated last year by Botswana’s then-President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who suggested sending 20,000 elephants to Germany in response to criticism towards Botswana’s elephant management practices. He argued that Germans should understand living alongside these animals to the extent advocated for Africans.
Initially lauded as a triumph, the mass elephant relocation in July 2022, which shifted 263 elephants from an overcrowded park to Kasungu to replenish dwindling numbers due to poaching, now faces scrutiny. Considered one of the largest elephant relocations, this operation involved tranquilizing and transporting the animals using cranes and trucks.
Problems reportedly arose almost instantly, with lawyers claiming two fatalities occurred within days of the elephants’ arrival. While the communities recognize IFAW’s conservation intentions, they aspire to restore safety and stability to their daily lives.