The Warm Heart Initiative has expressed concern over the ongoing destruction and suffering caused by elephants that the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) dumped into Kasungu National Park on July 12, 2022.
Organisation Media Director, Christabel Chikwikwi, says this has led to massive human rights violations, including loss of life, destruction of property, and severe food insecurity.
Ms. Chikwikwi said the recently installed solar electric fence at Kasungu National Park, which was supposed to protect surrounding communities, has already been damaged by buffaloes due to its poor construction.
“This newly constructed fence is of substandard quality and cannot withstand the force of elephants, exposing communities to continued danger,” said Ms. Chikwikwi in a statement issued to RCV News in Lusaka today.
She highlighted that since July 2022, over 12,000 people have suffered from these invasions, with more than 80 lives affected on the evening of March 23, 2025.
Ms. Chikwikwi said these numbers reflect a tragic and deliberate failure by IFAW to uphold human rights and environmental justice.
She has since requested an international human rights law firm to take legal action against IFAW.
Ms . Chikwikwi has applauded the resilience of community members and the legal team fighting for justice and has further assured all affected individuals that Warm Heart Initiative will continue to document new cases of destruction and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
By Margaret Mwanza
