The Mozambican minister of agriculture, Roberto Albino, has revealed that the country’s elephant population, over the last seven years, increased from 9,114 to approximately 21,700 as a result of measures implemented in wildlife recovery.

According to the minister, who was speaking on Tuesday, in Maputo, at the ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), the country’s wildlife census, which was carried out in 2025, shows a significant evolution in wildlife populations, after several years of decline.

“The elephant population is estimated at around 21,700 animals, double the number recorded in 2018. The previous trend was a sharp reduction in the elephant population, which fell from over 20,000 animals in 2008 to approximately 10,800 in 2014 and 9,114 in 2018”, he said.

The reversal of this trend, he explained, results from strengthened monitoring measures and the fight against poaching, the involvement of local communities in conservation, wildlife reintroduction programs, and the sharing of benefits associated with conservation areas.

The minister, citing census data, the addition to elephants, other large and medium-sized species, such as buffalo, zebras, and hippos, also show signs of population growth or stability.

“There has also been a significant reduction in the number of elephant carcasses, which indicates a decrease in poaching. This result demonstrates the positive impact of cooperation between the government, cooperation partners, the private sector, co-managers of conservation areas, and local communities”, he said.

According to Albino, for the first time, southern Mozambique has a higher concentration of elephants than the central and northern regions, influenced by transboundary conservation areas.

However, he warned that the data from the north region of the country may be underestimated due to the exclusion of some areas from the census for security reasons.

“Despite the recovery of the fauna, the government warns of the growing human pressure on conservation areas, including the expansion of settlements, illegal logging, and mining, factors that continue to degrade natural habitats”, he said.

At the same event, the government announced its intention to move forward with a controlled wildlife extraction program in the southern Maputo National Park with the aim of preventing ecological imbalances associated with an excess of animals in certain areas.

The program will be implemented in two phases, beginning with a pilot project on ecological management, followed by a phase of economic exploitation as part of wildlife economics.