As Zimbabwe is recovering from its heavy poaching problem, another big problem has come upon them. This time is unstoppable and also caused by the human hand: climate change. Changes in the environment are causing the complete extinction of certain species in Africa. In other words: drought threatens rhinos, giraffes and antelopes by halving the amount of food available.

The country’s solution? A “Noah’s ark”. Zimbabwe has started moving 2,500 animals to save them from the destruction of the weather.

Great success. This is the “Re-Wild Zambezi Project” and involves relocating thousands of animals to an area in the Zambezi River Valley to rebuild wildlife populations there. The convoy (which would logically happen little by little) will include about 400 elephants, 2,000 impalas, 70 giraffes, 50 buffaloes, 50 antelopes, 50 zebras, 50 antelopes, 10 lions, and 10 wild dogs. Where? From Zimbabwe’s Save Valley Conservancy, they will travel to three northern protected areas: Sapi, Matusadonha and Chizarira.

How? It is one of the largest initiatives worldwide to transport animals. How to do it looks like it’s straight out of a movie. This time there will be no biblical ship or ship. Calm elephants and other heavy animals will be lifted from cranes and trailers. Others will be driven by rangers in a long convoy of trucks into metal cages that will take them 700km to their new home.

The route the animals will follow to get to their new home.

Why? Why? Their habitat has literally dried up. Water scarcity due to a seemingly endless period of drought made it necessary for authorities to relocate the entire ecosystem. The situation was so dire that the parks agency allowed animals to be relocated to prevent “a disaster from happening.” “We’ve been fighting poaching for years, and while we’re winning this war, climate change has become the biggest threat,” said Tinashe Farawo, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

The problem is that many of these parks get overcrowded and there isn’t enough food and water for everyone. This causes them to invade neighboring human settlements in search of livelihood and create conflicts.

perpetual motion. This is not the first time the country has faced such a big maneuver. Between 1958 and 1964, more than 5,000 animals were transported in the so-called “Operation Noah” in Rhodesia, where the country was ruled by a white minority. This plan has saved wildlife from rising waters caused by the construction of a massive hydroelectric dam on the Zambezi River, which creates Lake Kariba, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world.

Now the opposite is happening: A recent study in Kruger National Park in South Africa has linked extreme weather events with loss of plants and animals, the inability to cope with harsh conditions, and a lack of water and higher temperatures due to longer dry periods.