Hundreds of livestock killed in conservancies bordering Etosha

Environment minister Indileni Daniel says predators have killed 388 livestock in conservancies bordering Etosha National Park between 2019 and 2024.Speaking in parliament last week, Daniel said the animals included cattle, horses, donkeys and goats. She added that wildlife had also destroyed 61 hectares of crop fields.“Important to note is that much of the human-wildlife conflict incidents being experienced around Etosha National Park involve crop damages, predation on livestock and damage caused to water infrastructure," Daniel said.She noted that the damage and livestock losses are not necessarily caused solely by wildlife from within Etosha National Park, as wildlife also resides in communal areas and on farms bordering the park.Collaborating with stakeholders The minister added that the environment ministry has been working with communities and farmers around Etosha to implement preventive, protective and mitigation measures to address human-wildlife conflict.Measures implemented include the construction of elephant protection walls to safeguard community and farm water infrastructure, the provision of alternative water points for wildlife, the building of predator-proof kraals to protect livestock, the removal of problem animals, and the collaring of wildlife as part of an early warning system.“We have also been conducting awareness programmes with communities,” Daniel explained.Although Daniel said these measures have significantly contributed to the reduction of human-wildlife conflicts around Etosha National Park, more still needs to be done, including by the communities and farmers themselves.The minister also warned that some community cattle posts and crop fields are located too close to the park. “Others even connect their fences to that of the Etosha National Park. This cannot be allowed, as it attracts wild animals to get out of the park and attack livestock and graze in crop fields,” she said.

Hundreds of livestock killed in conservancies bordering Etosha

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-17

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Hundreds of livestock killed in conservancies bordering Etosha

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-17

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