Elephants are stunned, lifted onto transport vehicles by crane and taken to another safari park to control the growing herd population

New footage has revealed exactly how African rangers transported several six-tonne elephants from one national park to another by drugging them and hoisting them into large trucks.

You can see sleepy elephants hanging around in huge harnesses as cranes load them into trucks for transport from Liwonde National Park to Kasungu National Park, both in Malawi, East Africa, to reduce their population and reduce human-to-human conflict and animal to the end

The stunned animals were lifted with a large hoist. Frank Weitzer, a freelance photojournalist and field guide, admitted that transportation was no easy task.

Frank said: “Loading bull elephants (males) presents a challenge for capture teams as the males are much larger and heavier than the females.”

“Previously, bulls were lifted into crates with ropes attached to their ankles – the safest way to lift an elephant with a crane – and laid on their sides before being given the stimulant.”

African elephants can weigh up to six tons

Male elephants are said to be more difficult to move than female elephants due to their size

Conservation Solution built a custom harness and harness to lift the elephants

African elephants are critically endangered animals whose population size is decreasing every year

African elephants have been hit hard by habitat changes and poaching by hunters

Frank Weitzer said the experience was “mesmerizing” to watch.

“Sometimes the bulls found it a bit difficult to get up inside the recovery box.

“The Conservation Solution capture team developed a method that involved lifting the large bull elephants with a custom-made harness that held the bull upright.

“After the bulls are let into the crates, they get the antidote while standing up; Her feet are already touching the bottom of the box.

“When the bulls wake up, the harness can be removed, effectively avoiding the difficult task of getting up.” “This technology has made the loading process much easier for the bulls.”

The photographer described the event, which was organized by African Parks in collaboration with Conservations Solutions and the Malawian government, as “charming”.

The fragmentation of the population and the division of elephant families have also contributed to the threat to the African elephant

African elephants are generally found in Central African countries, but there are also populations in West African countries

Frank said the new lifting technology made transporting the animals “enormously easier.”

The elephants were given an antidote to wake them up once they were upright in the trucks

Frank added: “It was fascinating to see a six ton animal hovering almost directly in front of the camera, seemingly ready to jump out of the harness at any moment, but obviously deep in the realm of kinks.”

“As always when I met these giants up close, I had to hold my breath and pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming!”

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, African elephants are seriously threatened.

Populations of the animals, which can weigh up to six tons, have declined year after year due to habitat loss and poaching.

Population fragmentation and family breakdown are also leading to a decline in elephant numbers.

African elephants are generally found in Central African countries, but there are populations in West African countries such as Mali, Senegal and Guinea.