Why moving endangered wildlife is only the beginning, says UoG professor

Moving endangered wildlife to new habitats can play a vital role in conservation, but the success of these projects depends on far more than transporting animals from one place to another, according to Professor Adam Hart.

As conservationists increasingly turn to wildlife translocations to restore and strengthen populations of iconic species such as elephants and rhinos, Professor Hart says the challenges extend far beyond the logistics of moving animals.

The Professor of Conservation Ecology at University of Gloucestershire is involved in a project moving rhino between protected areas in South Africa this autumn as part of efforts to establish and expand secure rhino populations. He will be working with colleagues and research students to examine what happens after the animals arrive at their new home.

Professor Hart said: “Moving large animals such as elephants and rhinos can be an essential conservation tool, particularly as wildlife populations become increasingly fragmented and climate change affects habitat.

“The dramatic images of a rhino being transported by helicopter or an elephant stepping out into a new landscape capture public attention, but they represent only a small part of the process.

“With animals as large, mobile and socially complicated as elephants and rhinos, the move itself can turn out to be the straightforward part. Once they leave the crate, that’s when the hardest work begins.”

Drawing on examples from across Africa, including the relocation of more than 260 elephants in Malawi and large-scale efforts to establish new rhino populations, Professor Hart highlights the importance of planning for both wildlife and people.

While translocations can help restore species to areas where they have declined or disappeared, they can also lead to unintended consequences if local communities are not adequately considered and supported.

In 2022, 263 elephants were transferred from Liwonde National Park to Kasungu National Park, where populations had been depleted by decades of poaching. While the move made ecological sense, helping to restore elephant numbers in a protected area with capacity for growth, the outcomes proved more complex than anticipated.

Following the relocation, some elephants moved beyond the intended areas and incidents of human-wildlife conflict increased. Local communities reported damage to crops and property, while people were also killed, although not all the deaths involved relocated elephants.

In 2025, communities in Malawi and neighbouring Zambia began pursuing legal action against one of the organisations involved, alleging local residents were not adequately protected or consulted. The organisation disputes the claims.

While investment in monitoring, rapid-response teams and park fencing has since helped reduce incidents of human-elephant conflict, the experience shows that successful translocations require careful consideration of both wildlife and people.

Elephants’ intelligence, complex social structures and ability to travel long distances can make the consequences of relocation difficult to predict, underlining the need for thorough planning before and after animals are moved.

Professor Hart said: “Conservation translocations are not just biological challenges. They are social challenges too. A project that makes perfect sense from an ecological perspective can become much more complicated when it affects the lives and livelihoods of people living alongside wildlife.

“Historical presence alone is not enough justification for reintroducing a species. Landscapes change, communities change and conservation has to take account of those realities if it is to succeed in the long term.”

Professor Hart believes conservationists will increasingly need to use translocation as a tool to tackle biodiversity loss, but says projects must be designed with long-term outcomes in mind.

The extensive planning required before animals are moved includes habitat assessments, security measures to protect against poaching, and long-term population management.

He said: “The answer is not to stop moving wildlife. Translocation has restored species to places where they had disappeared and, as wildlife populations become increasingly fragmented, conservationists may need to do more of it.

“The challenge is making sure these projects work for local communities as well as for the species we’re trying to protect.”