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Success Story
Restocking reserves with wildlife conserves habitats, attracts tourists
Seventy Elephants Find a New Home
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Photo: USAID/Curt Reintsma
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A male bull elephant just prior to his capture and transfer to the Majete Wildlife Reserve in southern Malawi
“Malawi has tremendous tourism potential that can benefit local communities. Restocking national parks contributes to this,” said Curt Reintsma, USAID’s Mission Director in Malawi.
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Seventy elephants found a new home in Majete Wildlife Reserve in southern Malawi thanks to USAID support and a partnership with the Stichting African Parks Foundation. The foundation’s vision is to restore, develop and manage remote and vulnerable areas in Africa in order to preserve biodiversity and help communities learn to use natural resources in a sustainable way.
The Majete Wildlife Reserve, located in southern Malawi’s Lower Shire Valley, was once home to many animals, many of which have been driven out. Since 2003, the foundation has been restocking the reserve with the wildlife species that once called the area their home. These animals include: black rhino, buffalo, waterbuck, bushbuck, eland, hartebeest, zebra, bush pig, impala, nyala, and sable. By bringing wild animals from protected areas in Malawi and neighboring countries to the reserve, the habitat can be restored to its original state. Once the reserve is restocked, it will be an invaluable resource to nearby communities, as they begin to benefit from both the replenished resources and the tourism that the park will attract.
USAID has long encouraged cooperation between governments, businesses, and civil society by forging public-private alliances that stimulate economic growth and address health and environmental issues. These alliances and successful collaboration between the government, the foundation, and the reserve, have made the restocking projects a great success.
In 2006, USAID helped one of the most important restocking projects: relocating a herd of 70 elephants to the park. A team of veterinary specialists helped ensure the herd’s safety and health as they were transported to the reserve. The elephant herd was captured and relocated safely to its new home. Once areas like the Majete Wildlife Reserve are properly restored and managed, they can help develop the region’s economy, benefitting its people, the land and, of course, the animals.
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