Barbaric attack on leopard condemned
The environment ministry has expressed shock and dismay over horrific video footage that has been circulating on social media showing a leopard being bludgeoned to death with an axe while being savaged by a pack of dogs.
The video clip shows the dog pack ripping chunks of flesh from the living animal while a group of up to four men stand watching and laughing.
The men then take turns clubbing the leopard while the dogs continue the attack. The endangered big cat eventually dies when one of the men smashes its head with an axe continuously for more than 40 seconds.
The ministry condemned the illegal killing of the protected animal, and particularly the cruelty of the act.
It said that the leopard had allegedly caught livestock on the farm Okamiparara in the Otjiwarongo District and the owner of the farm took it upon himself to set a trap in which the leopard was caught.
“It is regrettable that this animal was killed in such a cruel and illegal manner using inappropriate means. It should be noted further that such a hunt was not sanctioned by the ministry, nor was the case of this leopard killing livestock reported to the ministry for action or advice.”
Meanwhile, a petition by the International Humane Society urging the ministry to seek justice for the brutal leopard killing has gained more than 85 000 signatures.
The ministry said conflict between people and wildlife was on the increase and measures have been put in place to address and mitigate such conflict.
The ministry is reviewing the National Policy on Human-Wildlife Conflict and public consultation was done.
“We appeal to all Namibians to work closely with nature conservation officials in any cases involving wildlife to avoid being caught on the wrong side of the law. We discourage the developing trends where people take the law into their own hands by killing problem animals without notifying the ministry,” it said.
The video clip shows the dog pack ripping chunks of flesh from the living animal while a group of up to four men stand watching and laughing.
The men then take turns clubbing the leopard while the dogs continue the attack. The endangered big cat eventually dies when one of the men smashes its head with an axe continuously for more than 40 seconds.
The ministry condemned the illegal killing of the protected animal, and particularly the cruelty of the act.
It said that the leopard had allegedly caught livestock on the farm Okamiparara in the Otjiwarongo District and the owner of the farm took it upon himself to set a trap in which the leopard was caught.
“It is regrettable that this animal was killed in such a cruel and illegal manner using inappropriate means. It should be noted further that such a hunt was not sanctioned by the ministry, nor was the case of this leopard killing livestock reported to the ministry for action or advice.”
Meanwhile, a petition by the International Humane Society urging the ministry to seek justice for the brutal leopard killing has gained more than 85 000 signatures.
The ministry said conflict between people and wildlife was on the increase and measures have been put in place to address and mitigate such conflict.
The ministry is reviewing the National Policy on Human-Wildlife Conflict and public consultation was done.
“We appeal to all Namibians to work closely with nature conservation officials in any cases involving wildlife to avoid being caught on the wrong side of the law. We discourage the developing trends where people take the law into their own hands by killing problem animals without notifying the ministry,” it said.
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Namibian Sun
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