NGO Ifaw denies wrongdoing in Malawi elephant translocation as potential group action suit looms

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) has denied any wrongdoing over allegations that it was careless and caused harm to local communities when it spearheaded the relocation in 2022 of 263 elephants to Kasungu National Park in Malawi, a project which critics say has triggered an explosion of human-wildlife conflict and led to millions of dollars in crop damage. 

Human rights-focused law firm Leigh Day is planning to launch a group action suit against Ifaw on behalf of Zambians and Malawians who have had family members killed and suffered crop and property damage from elephant incursions since the relocation took place. 

Read more: NGO Ifaw faces group action suit seeking redress for victims of botched Malawi elephant relocation

“Ifaw rejects any allegation of wrongdoing against it in this regard. Its focus remains on delivering its long-term commitment to the people and wildlife of Malawi and Zambia,” the NGO said on Wednesday. 

“Best practice and international standards have been followed in regards to the translocation and management of human-wildlife conflict, such as those issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which [are] widely recognised as the global authority measures needed to safeguard the natural world.”

The translocation was carried out without a fence being erected on the park’s border with Zambia, and much of the Malawian side of the reserve is also unfenced. The elephants, as a result, have been freely moving across the boundary onto land that is mostly worked by poor subsistence farmers in a region that was hit hard in 2024 by an El Niño-triggered drought. 

Aside from compensation for the people who have incurred damage from the elephants, Leigh Day is also seeking “injunctive relief” to compel Ifaw to halt the attacks and incursions by building a fence. 

The human death toll from elephant attacks stands at 10 since the translocation took place and more than 50 children have been orphaned, according to data compiled by Warm Heart, an NGO established in response to the crisis. 

“Before, during and after the translocation Ifaw has worked alongside its partners, including the relevant authorities, in support of the two governments to undertake a proactive approach to human-wildlife conflict which continues to date,” Ifaw said. 

“The work to which Ifaw provides financial and technical support includes community sensitisation and engagement, physical- and virtual-fencing monitoring and capacity building for rapid response teams consisting of volunteers living in the area.”

Warm Heart has recorded crop raids and attacks on property almost daily. 

Ifaw has said it would not be responding to media queries on this issue, but the potential group action suit seems to have brought it out of its shell. 

The next steps will involve filing the case in the High Court of England and Wales. Leigh Day says it expects to launch these proceedings in the next few weeks. 

Ifaw pointedly noted: “The Government of Malawi, through its Department of Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), has overall jurisdiction and responsibility for all national parks and wildlife in Malawi, including Kasungu National Park.” 

Ifaw has made similar comments before and is clearly suggesting that the Malawian government bears full responsibility – including legal responsibility – for its park network and any initiatives taken within its parks. DM

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