A survey by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) has outlined that the elephant population in Malawi’s Kasungu National Park has increased from 40 in 2014 to 121 in 2020.

However, the increase is still low compared to the historical high of 1,000 reported in 1970. “Rampant poaching has decimated the number of elephants in the region and we are thankful to see this recent increase,” observed DNPW Director Brighton Kumchedwa.

The aerial survey has shown that other species that have registered a significant increase, including buffalo, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, roan antelope, sable antelope, greater kudu, puku and warthog. The aerial survey was conducted in October last year with the aim of providing baseline information on the populations of key wildlife species in Kasungu National Park.