Kenya relocates 50 elephants to a larger park as population thrives
Al Jazeera
Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano oversaw the translocation of five elephants to the expansive Aberdare National Park.
Kenya is suffering from a problem, albeit a good one: the elephant population in the 42-square-kilometre (16-square-mile) Mwea National Reserve, east of the capital Nairobi, has flourished from its maximum capacity of 50 to a whopping 156, overwhelming the ecosystem and requiring the relocation of about 100 of the largest land animals. It hosted 49 elephants in 1979, and their population has grown.
On Monday, Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano oversaw the translocation of five elephants to the expansive Aberdare National Park, located in central Kenya. Fifty other elephants are set to be relocated, but a date hasn’t been announced.
According to Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Erustus Kanga, the overpopulation in Mwea highlighted the success of conservation efforts over the last three decades.
“This shows that poaching has been low and the elephants have been able to thrive,” Kanga said.
Experts started relocating 50 elephants last week to the expansive 780-square-kilometre (301-square-mile) Aberdare National Park in central Kenya. As of Monday, 44 elephants had been moved from Mwea to Aberdare, with six others scheduled for Tuesday.
