NAIROBI, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has launched a six-day operation to relocate five elephants to a safer protected habitat in a bid to reduce human-wildlife conflict affecting farming communities in central Kenya's Mwea region.
In a statement issued Monday evening, the KWS said two elephants were successfully relocated on the first day of the operation, with the remaining three to be moved over the coming days.
"This operation is a win for both people and wildlife," the wildlife agency said.
It also noted that the relocation would help protect local farmers' crops while enabling the elephants to settle in a habitat with sufficient food, water, and space. Wildlife officers will continue monitoring the animals to ensure they adapt successfully to their new environment.
According to the KWS, the translocation aligns with the National Elephant Action Plan 2023-2032, a strategic framework focused on securing a sustainable elephant population, mitigating human-elephant conflict, and restoring degraded habitats.
The wildlife agency added that elephants straying from protected reserves have increasingly destroyed farmlands and property, driving a sharp rise in human-elephant conflict across local communities. ■