Scaling Elephant Monitoring in Magoé National Park (MNP)

Today, Magoé National Park is becoming one of the country's most ambitious examples of what is possible when conservation moves beyond reacting to conflict and starts predicting it.

Between 8 and 13 June, Mozambique Wildlife Alliance (MWA)'s veterinary team completed an intensive five-day operation across the Magoé landscape, deploying satellite collars on 20 elephant herds.

In just five days:

• 15 collars were deployed in Magoé District

• 5 collars were deployed in Cahora Bassa District

For communities living alongside elephants, this is far more than a number.

Every collar represents the ability to understand where elephants are , anticipate risk before it becomes conflict, and respond before crops are destroyed, livelihoods are affected, or lives are put at risk.

What is being built in Magoé today is not simply an elephant monitoring programme.

It reflects the core of MWA’s Human–Wildlife Conflict mitigation strategy in action.

An integrated system that combines real-time satellite tracking, Elephant Shepherds (Rapid Response Units), Protected Farming Communities, community training, and an unprecedented level of elephant movement intelligence across the landscape.

And the work does not stop here.

As this operation concludes, the next phase is already underway.

Today, another member of the MWA team is travelling to Magoé National Park to train park rangers in EarthRanger, the platform used to monitor elephant movements in real time. As the number of collared herds grows, so too must the local capacity to analyse data, anticipate conflict, and coordinate rapid responses on the ground.

Because technology alone does not create impact. People do.

The future of coexistence in Magoé will be built by communities, Elephant Shepherds, park rangers, and conservation practitioners working together with better tools, better information, and a shared commitment to protecting both people and wildlife.

This operation was made possible through the continued support of BIOFUND and MozRural, in partnership with ANAC, Magoé National Park, local communities, and all those working to transform one of Mozambique's most challenging conservation landscapes into a model for coexistence.