Malawi to move 500 elephants to new wildlife reserve.

Record ID: 94873

  • Title: Malawi to move 500 elephants to new wildlife reserve.
  • Date: 18th July 2016
  • Summary: NKHOTAKOTA, MALAWI (RECENT) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) MEN SITTING ON TRUCK CARRYING ELEPHANTS PARK AND WILDLIFE OFFICIALS TALKING NEXT TO TRUCK FERRYING ELEPHANTS OVERHEAD VIEW OF ELEPHANTS IN TRUCK PARK AND WILDLIFE OFFICIALS SITTING ON TRUCK OFFICIAL CLIMBING DOWN FROM TRUCK WHILE OTHERS LOOK ON ELEPHANTS LEAVING TRUCK (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELVIS KAMOTO, PARKS MANAGER, NKHOTAKOTA WILDLIFE RESERVE, SAYING: "Obviously there will be a big attraction to tourism. So, that is what African Parks is striving for, to have parks that are functional, parks that are attractive enough to tourists but also parks that properly protect biodiversity." NKHOTAKOTA, MALAWI (RECENT) (REUTERS) (PART MUTE) GENERAL VIEWS OF NKHOTAKOTA WILDLIFE RESERVE NKHOTAKOTA, MALAWI (RECENT) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF GRASSLAND AT SUNSET NKHOTAKOTA, MALAWI (RECENT) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF KAMOTO TALKING TO PARK OFFICIAL WHILE INSPECTING FENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PARKS MANAGER, NKHOTAKOTA WILDLIFE RESERVE, ELVIS KAMOTO, SAYING: "When we came here last August, poaching was really quite high. But am glad to say that for the one year that we have been working here, we have been working here we have really tried to control it to a larger extent. I am not saying that poaching is gone completely, but we have put it under control." NKHOTAKOTA, MALAWI (RECENT) (REUTERS) VIEW OF PARK FENCE SOLAR PANELS IN PARK WILD ANIMAL WALKING PAST VARIOUS OF DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND WILDLIFE, BRIGHTON KUMCHEDWA, WORKING AT HIS DESK (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND WILDLIFE, BRIGHTON KUMCHEDWA, SAYING: "We are also, now, very much relying on intelligence-led law enforcement, in which case we have just established a wildlife crimes investigation unit, that is working very closely with our counterparts in police and already this is bringing very positive results, because now arresting people in possession of ivory is like a weekly or almost every other day event." NKHOTAKOTA, MALAWI (RECENT) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF ELEPHANTS WALKING
  • Embargoed: 2nd August 2016 16:43
  • Keywords: Elephants Relocation National Park Tourism Poaching Conservation.
  • Location: NKHOTAKOTA, MALAWI
  • City: NKHOTAKOTA, MALAWI
  • Country: Malawi
  • Topics: Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014R7RU53
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Conservationists have started an ambitious plan to move 500 elephants to the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in the central Malawi.
    The elephants are being moved due to overcrowding in two wildlife parks. The project is led by "African Parks," a conservation organisation and the Malawi government.
    Officials say it is part of efforts to improve tourism in the southern Africa country. Tourism is Malawi's third main foreign exchange earner, contributing 7.3 percent of GDP in 2014. Tourist arrivals have doubled to more than 1 million over the past 10 years.
    "Obviously there will be a big attraction to tourism. So, that is what African Parks is striving for, to have parks that are functional, parks that are attractive enough to tourists but also parks that properly protect biodiversity," said Elvis Kamoto, Parks Manager at the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve.
    "African Parks" is also constructing a 240 kilometre fence in Nkhotakota to prevent wildlife from straying out of the park. New surveillance and security measures have also been put in place to help curb poaching.
    "When we came here last August, poaching was really quite high. But am glad to say that for the one year that we have been working here, we have been working here we have really tried to control it to a larger extent. I am not saying that poaching is gone completely, but we have put it under control," added Kamoto.
    Malawi is investing in new technology to safeguard its parks and protect its wildlife. Brighton Kumchedwa is the director of the department of Parks and Wildlife. He says the government is doing all it can to stop illegal wildlife trafficking.
    "We are also, now, very much relying on intelligence-led law enforcement, in which case we have just established a wildlife crimes investigation unit, that is working very closely with our counterparts in police and already this is bringing very positive results, because now arresting people in possession of ivory is like a weekly or almost every other day event," he said.
    The elephant relocation will take place over a period of one year. 136 elephants have already moved to the Nkhotakota reserve.
    Malawian wildlife authorities estimate the country's elephant population has halved from 4,000 in the 1980s.
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