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 perhaps the most grueling elephant capture I’ve ever been involved in. It took us around 30 hours just to capture the elephants. The lack of infrastructure and absence of 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, numerous 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 successfully relocated 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, the second of its kind in Mozambique, highlighted the significance of collaboration and swift, decisive action in conservation, as well as endurance, perseverance, and sheer grit in the wilderness. Its success stemmed from a cooperative effort among several organizations. The Peace Parks Foundation and Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas led the initiative, supported by WeWild Africa and the Wildlife Emergency Fund, which provided crucial funding and expert in-field assistance. Conservation Solutions managed the operational aspect, receiving indispensable veterinary support from the Mozambique Wildlife Alliance.

The Zinave Relocation serves as a reminder of the challenges we face in this field and the lengths we must go to protect wildlife.