An exercise to establish the number and distribution of wildlife in Kasungu National Park is underway, with authorities combining aerial assessments with field monitoring and elephant collaring. Minister of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism Simon Itaye is witnessing the exercise.
The exercise, running from 5 to 31 October 2026, is being led by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, with support from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Conservation Ecology Research Unit of the University of Pretoria and Mhuirich Aviation Services.
The assessment is expected to show whether wildlife populations in the park are increasing or declining and help authorities assess whether existing conservation measures are producing the desired results.
The survey is covering elephants, lions, leopards and buffalo among other wildlife in the 2,315-square-kilometre park.
As part of the exercise, 15 elephants have been fitted with tracking collars by 6 October 2026. EarthRanger technology is also helping teams follow elephant movements, including animals that cross the park boundary, allowing rapid response teams to locate them and take action.
The previous aerial assessment of Kasungu National Park was conducted in 2022.
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