Our Partners & Collaborators
The Peace Parks Foundation
Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas
Wildlife Emergency Fund Conservation Solutions
Mozambique Wildlife Alliance
Zinave National Park
Challenge, Grit, and Perseverance Rescuing Elephants in the Heart of Mozambique
Written by one of our Founders, Dereck Milburn.
I can vividly recall the intense and challenging operation of relocating elephants to Zinave National Park in Mozambique. It was a race against time to save them from a situation of extreme human-wildlife conflict.
This operation was probably the most grueling elephant capture I’ve ever been a part of. It took us around 30 hours just to capture the elephants. The lack of infrastructure and no roads in the area meant we had to clear dense bush and literally make new roads just to reach the animals.
We darted the elephants late in the afternoon, so the loading ended up happening at night. The challenges were immense – trucks getting stuck due to the heavy weight of the elephants, many tire punctures, and even a tree branch shattering a truck’s windshield.
There was a particularly heart-stopping moment when a baby elephant stopped breathing. We had to quickly administer emergency adrenaline to revive it, and then it ran off, requiring us to catch it again.
Despite these hurdles, we managed to successfully relocate all the elephants to Zinave National Park. Stretching across 4,000 square kilometers in Mozambique’s Inhambane Province, it’s a haven for wildlife, including hippos, crocodiles, and various bird species. The park is part of a larger transfrontier conservation area and plays a crucial role in regional biodiversity.
This operation, only the second of its kind in Mozambique, showcased the importance of collaboration and swift, decisive action in conservation, as well as endurance, perseverance, and sheer grit in the wilderness. The success was the result of a collaborative effort between several organizations. The Peace Parks Foundation and Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas spearheaded the initiative. They were supported by WeWild Africa and the Wildlife Emergency Fund, who provided crucial funding and in-field expert assistance. The operational aspect was managed by Conservation Solutions, with indispensable veterinary support from the Mozambique Wildlife Alliance.
The Zinave Relocation is a reminder of the challenges we face in this field and the lengths we must go to protect wildlife. At WeWild Africa, we’re committed to these efforts, no matter how daunting the task may be.
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Dereck Milburn
- May 21, 2021
