Historic Wildlife Move Helps Restore Elephant Population

A major conservation effort has helped rebuild elephant populations in Malawi by relocating more than 500 elephants to a protected reserve where the species had been pushed to the brink by poaching.

“This is a story of hope and restoration and of securing the future for Malawi’s elephants,” said African Parks, which led the translocation project.

Between 2016 and 2017, conservation teams moved more than 520 elephants and 2,000 other animals from the Majete Wildlife Reserve and the Liwonde National Park to the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve. The operation, one of the largest elephant translocations ever undertaken, followed extensive work to strengthen wildlife protection and reduce human-wildlife conflict through improved law enforcement and perimeter fencing. Nkhotakota had once supported more than 1,500 elephants, but fewer than 100 remained due to poaching. Since the relocation, the reserve has recorded the birth of new calves and growing tourism activity, demonstrating how long-term conservation and habitat restoration can help wildlife populations recover while benefiting local communities.