Malawi villagers to sue after elephants claim lives, cause havoc

Relocated elephants in Malawi have become a cause of serious contention between conservationists and villagers. Lack of adequate fencing around Kasungu National Park allows the animals to enter human settlements, destroy crops, damage buildings and even cause deaths, according to villagers. 

The trouble started around three years ago when 263 elephants were transferred to the park on the border with Zambia from an overpopulated Malawi reserve in a multi-million-dollar collaboration between the government and wildlife NGOs. 

Some have joined legal action against the UK-based International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which helped the government move the animals, seeking millions of dollars in compensation. But, spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture said that some of the issues that are being claimed out there are not true.