Epic Elephant Rescue Begins in Malawi

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Rescuers have started evacuating a group of 60+ elephants persecuted by human-elephant conflict in the southern African country of Malawi, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW – www.ifaw.org) announced today.

“A group of nine elephants, including three young calves, have been successfully darted and tranquilized and are en route from Phirilongwe, just south of Lake Malawi, to the protected Majete Wildlife Reserve,” said Jason Bell-Leask, IFAW’s Southern Africa Regional Director. The journey to Majete will take six hours.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW – www.ifaw.org) has partnered with the government of Malawi to rescue the animals which are at the centre of fierce human-elephant conflict in an area populated mostly by subsistence farmers just south of Lake Malawi.

“For years the herd has been maimed by local villagers, sometimes using appallingly cruel methods to protect their crops and granaries from raids by the elephants,” said Bell-Leask. “Our team on the ground reports that one of the elephants darted this morning is missing the bottom portion of her trunk — probably as a result of a snare.

“At least 10 people and numerous elephants have lost their lives in this conflict. The decision to translocate the elephants to a protected area is the only answer to a situation that would have seen the elephants culled through ‘problem animal’ control if not moved. This is a viable solution to a conservation management problem that will ultimately ensure the safety of both animals and people.”

IFAW said the Malawi government has taken an ethical, pragmatic approach to solving the dilemma of the Phirilongwe elephants by partnering with them to move the elephants to Majete Wildlife Reserve which is formally protected and offers the elephants a safe, secure home for the long-term.

“Let this be a reminder that throughout Africa and Asia (where conflicts between humans and elephants also arise) we must develop skillful and thoughtful approaches to human-elephant conflict to prevent these dangerous and deadly circumstances from arising.”

IFAW said it remained dedicated to focusing on regional conservation efforts such as trans-boundary wildlife linkages to preempt human-wildlife conflict situations similar to that which has existed in Phirilongwe.

For more information on the translocation and on making a donation to support the move, please visit www.ifaw.org. Also, for frequent updates on the move, visit IFAW’s Animal Rescue Blog at www.animalrescueblog.org.

About the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

As one of the world’s leading animal welfare organizations, IFAW has representation in 16 countries and carries out its animal welfare work in more than 40. IFAW works from its global headquarters in the United States and focuses its campaigns on improving the welfare of wild and domestic animals by reducing the commercial exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats, and assisting animals in distress. IFAW works both on the ground and in the halls of government to safeguard wild and domestic animals and seeks to motivate the public to prevent cruelty to animals and to promote animal welfare and conservation policies that advance the well-being of both animals and people.

SOURCE International Fund for Animal Welfare