- Six-tonne elephants were drugged and hoisted by massive cranes
- The elephants were hoisted onto trucks before being revived with antidotes
- The effort comes as tensions between locals and elephants are on the rise
PUBLISHED: 05:35 EDT, 23 October 2023 | UPDATED: 12:24 EDT, 23 October 2023
New images have revealed exactly how African conservationists have relocated several six-tonne elephants from one national park to another by drugging them and hoisting them into large trucks.
Drowsy elephants can be seen lolling about in massive harnesses as cranes put them into trucks to be moved from Liwonde National Park to Kasungu National Park, both in Malawi, east Africa, to decrease their population and alleviate human-wildlife conflict in the area.
The animals, which were sedated, were elevated using a giant hoist. Frank Weitzer, a freelance photojournalist and field guide, admitted that transporting them was no easy feat.
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Frank said: ‘Loading elephant bulls (males) presents a challenge to capture teams due to the size and sheer weight of the males, which far exceeds that of the females.
‘In the past, bulls were hoisted into the transport crates by ropes tied to their ankles – the safest way to pull up an elephant by a crane – and placed on their sides before being administered the wake-up drug.
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The majestic animals were sedated before being elevated using a giant hoist
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African elephants can weigh up to six tonnes
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Male elephants are reportedly harder to move about than females, due to their size
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Conservation Solution built a custom harness and rig to lift the elephants up
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African elephants are endangered animals, with population sizes dwindling every year
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African elephants have been badly affected by habitat changes and poaching by hunters
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Frank Weitzer said watching the experience was ‘spellbinding’
Elephants are hoisted onto trucks and moved to another safari park
Exposing the Big Game 