Kenya suspends elephant relocation to avoid bad weather

0 Comments | AFP, September, 2005

NAIROBI (AFP) — The Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) suspended the relocation of elephants from an overcrowded coastal reserve to a more spacious park to monitor their resettlement and to avoid bad weather, officials said.

The operation, which began in August to move 400 animals from Shimba Hills National Reserve to Tsavo East National Park, about 140 kilometers (85 miles) away, will resume in three months, said KWS spokeswoman Connie Maina.

"We have translocated 150 elephants but we had to suspend the operation because we had to concentrate on monitoring their resettlement in northern part of the new park," Maina told AFP.

"In the relocation process, five elephants died," she added.

The 3.2-million-dollar government-funded move has been billed by KWS...