Court stops evacuation of elephants in Malawi
Malawi High Court has granted an injunction to villagers in Mangochi district restraining government and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) from moving over 60 elephants from the district on the southern shores of Lake Malawi to a wildlife reserve.
Court official said the injunction was sought by the people led by Mr. I Khama through Ralph and Arnold law firm.
The court respite came after government and IFAW had started to move the elephants on Monday morning from Phirilongwe village to the Majete Wildlife Reserve.
The judge however has ordered that the relocation of elephants be stopped.
Jason Bell-Leask, a director IFAW said the evacuation began with nine elephants, including three young calves that were tranquilized and lifted by a crane onto trucks for the six-hour journey to the reserve.
The relocation of the elephants was expected to be completed about three weeks.
Villagers sought the court order to stop the relocation pending the submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment.
“These are our elephants they have always been here, there are more than 70, they are in good condition and do not present a danger unless provoked,” the villagers protest in a letter to Department of Environment Affairs.
But IFAW claims local farmers sometimes use violence to protect their crops from raids by the elephants, and at least 10 people and a number of elephants have recently died in such confrontations.
Tagged with: Elephants, IFAW, Khama, Majete Game reserve, Mangochi, Ralph and Anorld
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