Charity faces legal action after relocated elephants in Malawi allegedly kill 10 people | Animals

People who live on the edge of a protected area in Malawi They take legal measures against the NGO that transferred more than 250 villas to the region, which they say killed at least 10 people.

The villagers near Kasongo National Park, the second largest in Malawi and crossing the Zambian border, say they live in fear of their livelihoods and safety after 263 villas were presented in July 2022, causing a sharp rise in the struggle of human life. Ten people who claim to be affected by the displacement of the Liwonde National Park began a legal action against the International Animal Welfare Fund (IFAW), demanding the construction of a non -governmental organization from maintaining the protection of 167 villages around the park and compensation for the local population for the damage to the elephants.

More than 50 orphan children between July 2022 and November 2024 were the result of the consequences, according to local communities. Among the ten people who killed John Kaidisika, 31, who was crushed by a herd while working in a field in September 2022 and Messiahi Ferry31, who died after being accused by the bull elephant while she was in the garden with her two -year -old child.

One of the farmers from Zambia said he was walking on his farm when he encountered two villas and calf, which was accused. He said: “I couldn’t escape at the appropriate time. They skipped me, then cut the branches and covered me.”

“I was in Lumizi Hospital for four months while my surgery heals … Since this accident, my stomach swelling on one side. I don’t know what is wrong. I can’t target my arms, so I cannot farm. I rely on others’ desires to survive,” said 53 -year -old. “I am very afraid to move on my own, so I tend to stay at home alone. I feel pain all the time.”

Elephants do not include directly, but the blaming was blamed: one person was killed by the hippopotamus displaced by the elephants and another by the hyenas believed to give up mammals from the garden. Local residents say that elephants routinely circulate their crops and trample their fields, threatening their livelihoods.

Instructions were directed to the UK’s law office to act on behalf of the ten people against IFAW in the United Kingdom, Zambia and Malawi, and may bring the case to the Supreme Court of England. The demands have not yet been named to protect their identities. While the elephants have long been in the garden, with a decrease in the population due to overfishing, locals said that the rise in the human life struggle began after displacement.

One of the 73 -year -old farmers said: “My cultivation was destroyed five times. Three times in April 2024. Twice in May 2024. I was planting corn, cane, rice and beans. Everything was destroyed,” said one of the 73 -year -old farmers. “Before moving, sometimes, I could harvest 35 bags of rice. This year, I have nothing.”

Another farmer lives on the Zambian side of the garden, whose wife was killed by animals, is also part of the issue.

She said: “My husband’s father was old and could not escape while they were trampling, and he was killed. He was killed. The news spread throughout society and members of society went to help but he already died.”

In a statement, IFAW said it had received legal procedures in December and rejected allegations of violations.

A spokeswoman said: “IFAW is deeply saddened by all cases of human life struggle in Kasungu, as it was working to support the government and societies to develop sustainable solutions to reduce the struggle of human life and enhance coexistence.” They said that IFAW provided technical and financial support, after the best international practices while moving the elephants.

The elephant’s displacement was among the largest of its kind, and images of the process were used to collect donations, with pictures of the mammals that were uploaded by Crane as “Scenes remember us Disney Classic DomboIt was a 3 -way operation Between Malawi Park service and two NGOs: IFAW and African Parks.

Other demands in the case said that they hope to live in peace with elephants and wanted the NGO to take steps to protect them.

“We need elephant owners to compensate us, and they need the garden barrier, if they do not pack the garden, they must find another way to protect us and our crops. We want to claim damage and barrier in the garden.

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