The government has successfully relocated 50 elephants from the Mwea National Reserve to Aberdare National Park in a 17-day exercise that cost Kes14 million.

Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano and Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) Director General Erastus Kanga have witnessed the translocation.

 The initiative is motivated by the increasing human-wildlife conflict in Mwea, where the elephant population has increased beyond the reserve's capacity.

“So far 39 have been translocated and in the next few days we will have the remaining 11 translocated. They are going to Abadare National park which is more spacious, greener and has more foliage. Mwea National Reserve should be holding about 49 elephants, currently the population is 156. Therefore the need to translocate,” said CS Miano.

Mwea, spanning 42 square kilometers, has seen its elephant population increase from 49 in 1979 to 156 today, straining its ecosystem and leading to more frequent human-elephant conflicts.

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Aberdare National Park, covering 700 square kilometers, offers a more expansive habitat that can better support the growing elephant population.

The relocation aims to ease pressure on Mwea’s environment, reduce conflicts, and improve the socio-economic well-being of surrounding communities by fostering peaceful coexistence.

The translocation is also expected to boost ecotourism in Aberdare, creating economic opportunities for nearby communities.

Additionally, the initiative is part of broader conservation efforts under Kenya’s National Elephant Action Plan, which seeks to sustain elephant populations, restore habitats, and promote human-wildlife coexistence.

So far 39 have been trans-located and in the next few days we will have the remaining 11 trans-located.