LWT HELPS WITH ELEPHANT TRANSLOCATION
(Project: Wildlife Emergency Response Unit – Rescue & Research) As part of efforts to better manage, protect and regenerate Malawi’s wildlife populations, African Parks are moving up to 500 elephants from Liwonde and Majete in Southern Malawi to Nkhotakhota in the North. LWT’s vet, Dr Amanda Salb, has spent the last few weeks helping with […]
(Project: Wildlife Emergency Response Unit – Rescue & Research)
As part of efforts to better manage, protect and regenerate Malawi’s wildlife populations, African Parks are moving up to 500 elephants from Liwonde and Majete in Southern Malawi to Nkhotakhota in the North. LWT’s vet, Dr Amanda Salb, has spent the last few weeks helping with the translocation, and learning a lot on the job too. It’s intense work – on one day they moved a total of 24 elephants! Apart from the conservation benefits, the move is generating some very positive attention for Malawi and its wildlife, including a visit from Prince Harry. Here are some photos of Amanda in action…
The elephants are darted from the helicopter. Whole herds are sedated and moved together to maintain family units.
Once the elephants are sedated, its all systems go for the team to go and check on each elephant.
Some of the elephants are then lifted into crates. Here this young elephant will travel together with its mother.
Amanda is responsible for monitoring anaesthesia
The journey back to the processing area takes about 25 minutes
Amanda tops up the drugs from time to time on the journey
It’s all systems go when an elephant starts to stir a little earlier than planned
The team elephants reverse the anaesthetic so that the elephants are fully awake for their journey north to their new home.
