Don’t mob elephants, Kasungu people told

Department of National Parks and Wildlife director Brighton Kumchedwa has urged communities surrounding Kasungu National Park not to mob elephants when they get out of the park.

He said this on Monday during a passout parade of 18 fence attendants in the district.

Kumchedwa expressed concern with community members who flock to where elephants have been spotted.

He said: “In the past weeks, after we finished the translocation, elephants have been getting out of the park.

“This is happening because the elephants are new to the park and they are in search of water and other essentials for their lives, but after sometime they will settle.”

Kumchedwa said community members were acting contrary to what they were taught about their relationship with the animals, saying their recent action resulted in some people sustaining injuries and one dying.

On the graduating fence attendants, he thanked International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) for recruiting them.

Ifaw country director for Malawi and Zambia Patricio Ndadzera said they will erect a 50-kilometre fence on the eastern part of the park where elephants mostly get out to address the situation.

“The electric fence will stop the animals from getting out, thereby protecting communities,” he said.

In June this year, the department engaged people around the park ahead of the translocation in July.

During the meeting, Sub-Traditional Authority Mawawa said they welcomed the development as it will increase the number of tourists visiting the park, which will in turn help the people get piecework.

The Department of Parks and Wildlife, Ifaw and African Parks recently translocated 263 elephants to the park from Liwonde National Park in Machinga.

Besides elephants, other animals moved to Kasungu National Park include buffaloes, impalas, sables, antelopes, warthogs and waterbucks.