The government’s operation to relocate nearly 500 elephants from Kyerwa and Karagwe districts to Burigi-Chato National Park is progressing successfully, with no harm caused to residents or their property.
The exercise, carried out by Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) in collaboration with the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF), aims to address long-standing human–wildlife conflicts in the Kagera region.
So far, two large herds of more than 100 elephants each have walked over 150 kilometers into Burigi-Chato National Park, where experts say they are showing signs of settling permanently.
On October 3, 2025, TANAPA and TPDF continued the operation by guiding over 105 elephants from farmland near Kagera Sugar’s plantation in Kyerwa to Golini, along the border of Kyerwa and Karagwe districts, before directing them to Burigi-Chato. The operation is being supported by two military helicopters and vehicles.
TANAPA Deputy Conservation Commissioner for Conservation and Business Development, Massana Mwishawa, said the exercise is on track despite occasional challenges with elephants that break away from the herd.
“The operation is going well. We urge our teams to keep monitoring the herds that have already reached the park to ensure they do not return. Given the distance they have walked and the challenges faced, it is unlikely they will go back, but close monitoring remains essential,” he said.
Head of Ibanda-Kyera National Park, ACC Fredrick Mofulu, who is coordinating the exercise, noted that all elephants will be relocated to put an end to the destruction of crops and threats to human lives in affected communities.
The operation has also involved senior TANAPA officials, including Rumanyika-Karagwe National Park Head Charles Ngende and Communications Head Catherine Mbena, alongside researchers from the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) and officers from the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA).
The relocation is expected to provide lasting relief for communities in Kyerwa and Karagwe while ensuring the elephants thrive in their natural habitat inside Burigi-Chato National Park.