3 days ago
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Hundreds of bull elephants have trampled at least ten villagers to death after being relocated by a charity, Malawi locals have claimed.
Villagers near Kasungu national park are now launching legal action against the International Fund for Animal Welfare. IFWA, along with a second NGO African Parks, was involved in a major project to move 263 elephants to Malawi’s second-largest national park, that also crosses the Zambian border, in July 2022. Prince Harry was president of African Parks before joining the board of directors in 2023.
Malawi locals say they are living in fear of the animals and are demanding the charity build fencing to protect their homes and compensate them for the destruction left in their wake. They have claimed more than 50 children were left orphaned by the deaths.
One 53-year-old farmer from Zambia said he was still “in pain all of the time” after being charged by two elephants and their calf. He told The Guardian: “I couldn’t run away in time. They stepped on me and then broke off branches and covered me in them.
“I was in Lumezi hospital for four months while my wounds healed. Since that incident, my stomach is swollen on one side. I don’t know what is wrong. I can’t straighten my arm, so I can’t farm. I depend on the well wishes of others to survive.
“I am very afraid to move around on my own, so I tend to stay at home alone. I am in pain all of the time.”
Among the ten reported fatalities is John Kayedzeka, 31, said to have been trampled to death by a herd as he worked a field just two months after the relocation. A year later, Masiye Phiri, 31, reportedly died after she was charged by a bull elephant in her own garden as she tried to protect her two-year-old child.
In a statement, Malawi’s national park service confirmed three other deaths after community members “got too close while taking photos”. Two bull elephants were shot dead in accordance with Malawian law after.
British law firm Leigh Day will act on behalf of the ten people killed against IFAW in the UK, Zambia and Malawi. It could see the case be brought to the high court in England.
The elephants were moved to Kasungu from Liwonde national park in the south of Malawi.
In a statement, IFAW rejected allegations of any wrongdoing.
“IFAW is deeply saddened by all cases of human-wildlife conflict in and around Kasungu, where it has been working to support government and communities develop sustainable solutions for reducing human-wildlife conflict and promote coexistence,” a spokesperson said.
“The Government of Malawi, through its Department of Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) has overall jurisdiction and responsibility for all national parks and wildlife in Malawi, including Kasungu National Park.
“It is DNPW who lead on all translocation activities.· IFAW’s role in relation to the project was to provide financial support and technical support to Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife, alongside other partners.
“High standards were met in delivering IFAW’s mandate and we continue to support a proactive approach to managing human-wildlife conflict that is both community-led and science-based.
“The translocation was informed by respected experts in the field such as those at the Conservation Ecology Research Unit (CERU) at the University of Pretoria.”
