Electric fences protect farms in Zambia

In Lundazi, Zambia, the IFAW conservation group is installing electric fences around cluster farms to protect crops from elephants traveling between Malawi’s Kasungu National Park and Zambia’s Lukusuzi and Luambe national parks. Farmers like Esnart Banda report the low-cost polywire fences are effective at keeping elephants away from fields bordering Kasungu. These efforts support a 2015 treaty between Malawi and Zambia to create a transfrontier conservation area allowing wildlife movement.

IFAW also uses satellite tracking to monitor herds, broadcasts warnings on local radio, and deploys rapid response teams to deter elephants. However, population growth continues to shrink viable routes for elephants, as farmers clear forests for new fields and fuel wood.

Chieftainess Letesiya Phiri notes that even if corridors are established, Lukusuzi National Park currently lacks sufficient water to sustain elephants year-round. Despite these challenges, recent tracking data shows elephants attempting to use remaining green spaces to move between parks, suggesting connectivity is still possible with continued intervention.