The elephant population in Mozambique has more than doubled since 2018, rising to 22,718 animals, according to data from the 2025 census, the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC) announced on Sunday.
«The figures we are presenting show around 22,000 elephants and, above all, reflect a positive situation with regard to the protection of biodiversity,» said ANAC’s Director-General, Pejul Calenga, as quoted today in the media.
The last census of these animals, in 2018, indicated the presence of 9,122 elephants in the country. However, this latest census, carried out between 1 September 2025 and 30 November 2025 with the aim of producing up-to-date scientific information, including data on diseases, threats, mortality and conservation strategies, revealed an exponential increase in the elephant population.
Pejul Calenga stated that the increase in the elephant population is a positive development and reflects the success of wildlife protection strategies; it constitutes an important asset for the natural resource-based economy and contributes to state revenue.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that this growth also presents opportunities, notably the chance to strengthen human–wildlife coexistence at a time when the human population continues to grow, demanding more space for settlements and socio-economic development.
«However, rather than focusing solely on concerns relating to conflicts, it is important to ensure the best mechanisms for cohabitation and coexistence. This will enable us to transform the current situation regarding the elephant population into an opportunity to develop tourism based on natural resources and create other sources of income for communities and for the country as a whole,» said the Director-General of ANAC.
The census data also point to an increase in the elephant population in southern Mozambique, and Pejul Calenga explained that this trend is also the result of the connection between national conservation areas and parks in neighbouring countries.
«In the south, where we previously did not record a large elephant population, we have observed a significant change. We have begun to notice a greater concentration of elephants and other large mammals in the Limpopo National Park area, in Gaza Province, due to the influence of the border areas. We form part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, and the free movement of animals contributes to this situation,» he explained.
The census also points to a significant reduction in the elephant carcass ratio, from 48.35% in 2018 to 4.6% in 2025, as well as a decrease in mortality due to the decline in large-scale poaching, according to census data cited by the Foundation for Biodiversity Conservation (Biofound).
CEAGRE, part of the Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Engineering at Eduardo Mondlane University, carried out the survey under ANAC’s leadership, with funding from Sweden via the Swedish International Cooperation for Development Agency (SIDA), as part of the Biodiversity Conservation Programme, coordinated by Biofound.
In February, Mozambique announced a new biodiversity metric designed to measure the impact of development on the African elephant, a species considered a conservation priority in the country, as reported at the time by Lusa.
The new National Census of Elephants and Large Mammals took place in 2025, seven years after the last census, with the aim of updating data on the number of animals and their distribution across Mozambican territory.
The count was supposed to be carried out every five years, but the process required more resources, explained ANAC’s deputy director-general, Severiano Khoy, in September.
Previous censuses conducted in Mozambique recorded a 13% decline in the elephant population, from 10,496 animals in 2014 to 9,122 in 2018, due to poaching and natural factors.
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