The Department of National Parks and Wildlife on Tuesday moved 461 animals between Majete Wildlife Reserve, Liwonde National Park and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in an historic translocation of wildlife.
Director of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Bright Kumchedwa, said the animals include 79 sables, 66 kudus, 202 water bucks from Majete to Nkhotakota and 24 zebras and 25 elands from Majete to Liwonde while 114 elephants have been moved from Liwonde to Nkhotakota.
“Suffice to say the exercise is progressing well and very sure to complete according to plan,” Kumchedwa said.
Five hundred elephants and about 1,000 other animal species including zebras, buffalos, impalas and waterbucks are being translocated in an exercise which may last some two years. The exercise is being undertaken by African Parks.
Kumchedwa said last week that the policy direction is to have depleted parks restocked with key animal species to ensure that there is enough wildlife for tourism attraction.
Elephants are linked to infestation of weeds floating on the Shire River according to Bunda College Lecturer, Harry Msiska.
“It is common knowledge that before the electronic fence was installed around the Liwonde National Park, weeds never floated in the Shire River. It is a blessing that African Parks are destocking 500 elephants from Majete and Liwonde National Parks and translocating them to Nkhotakota National Park.
“It is ironic, however, that most tourists pay in their home countries for the stay and animal viewing in our parks. There should be a rethink about this tourism policy,” said Msiska.
This is the largest ever translocation of elephants in the history of mankind from Liwonde and Majete to Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve.
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