Kenya rubbishes report on relocation of elephants from UK

The Ministry of Tourism has rubbished reports that Kenya plans to receive 13 elephants which will be relocated from the UK.

This comes after the Daily Mail, a leading UK-based online news outlet, published an article claiming that the elephants, including three calves and a 34-year-old mother, would be transported to the country from Kent Wildlife Park.

The article claimed that the animals would spend six months being observed by conservationists before they are released back into the wild as part of a project that is being run by the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

However, the Ministry says it is completely unaware of the entire arrangement, noting that relocation and rehabilitation of animals from a zoo is a complicated and expensive affair.

“The Ministry wants to state that neither them nor the Kenya Wildlife Service have been contacted or consulted on this matter,” a statement issued Wednesday said.

The article claims that the animals would be flown by the charity belonging to Carrie Johnson, wife of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a “world's first rewilding project”.

Through its chairperson Damian Aspinall, the Aspinall Foundation claimed it would be transporting the 13 elephants, jointly weighing 25 tonnes, over 4,000 miles (roughly 6,440 kilometres) to a secret location in Kenya.

According to the article, the foundation also claimed that transportation of the jumbos would be done via a Boeing 747 flight in “a ground-breaking step for Kenya and the conservation movement after months of organising”.