African Parks says collaboration with communities around Liwonde National Park in Machinga District has played a key role in the increase of elephant population to 600.

The company’s country manager Samuel Kamoto  said this on Sunday during a press briefing on the ongoing six-week translocation of 250 elephants to Kasungu National Park.

He said reduced poaching has increased the population of elephants at Liwonde National Park.

An elephant being lifted to a truck

Kamoto said: “Liwonde National Park can comfortably keep 300 elephants, but the current population is over 600.

“Therefore, the exercise seeks to reduce the population in Liwonde and restock Kasungu National Park which lost most of its elephants to poaching.”

Liwonde National Park and Mangochi Forest Reserve community extension manager Mathias Elisa said community members around the park have directly benefited from environmental education, scholarships, healthcare infrastructure and support for income generating activities.

“We have joint liaison meetings with communities and they understand they are partners in managing the park,” he said.

In his remarks, Department of National Parks and Wildlife director Brighton Kumchedwa said security has improved at Kasungu National Park, leading to the effort to restock the park.

He said: “Zambia and Malawi are working together following the signing of a treaty in 2015 that legalises the collaboration known as Joint Frontier Conservation.

“The working relationship with African Parks has been good and they have restocked Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve and now they want to do the same with Kasungu,” he said.

Founded in 2000, African Parks works parks in partnership with governments and local communities and currently manages 19 parks in 11 countries.

In Malawi, the company  manages Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve.

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