Elephant conflicts escalate

ELLANIE SMIT WINDHOEK In light of escalating cases of human-wildlife conflict involving elephants, the environment ministry is intensifying its efforts to manage these conflicts with specific mitigation and preventive measures.Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said reports of elephants damaging crops and property have been received from the Ehirovipuka and Kamanjab areas in the Kunene Region, the Ruacana, Okahao and Tsandi constituencies of the Omusati Region, the Okongo, Nehale Lya Mpingana and Eengondi constituencies in Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions.Incidents have also been reported in the Grootfontein commercial farming area in the Otjozondjupa Region, Mangetti and Musese areas in the Kavango West Region, areas around Khaudum National Park and Bwabwata National Park in Kavango East Region, the Omatjete area in the Erongo Region and several parts of the Zambezi Region. Muyunda said elephants are attracted by maize, mahangu, watermelon and other crops that are flourishing after a good rainy season.He said another contributing factor to the escalating cases of human-wildlife conflict is noncompliance with the Environmental Management Act by organs of state when allocating land for economic activities such as farming. InterventionsAccording to Muyunda, mitigation and preventative measures will include rapid response to assist affected communities by driving away elephants from their fields and settlements, and the capture and relocation of elephants to areas where they are less likely to cause problems.He said other measures may include collaring specific elephants in different herds to monitor their movements, alerting communities and farmers, creating separate water points for elephants in the wild, destruction of declared problem animals and mapping out of wildlife corridors.Muyunda said the mapping of wildlife corridors had been completed in the Zambezi Region and the ministry was completing the exercise in the Kunene, Erongo and Omusati regions.Muyunda said the elephant conflicts were regrettable and unfortunate and the ministry sympathised with everyone affected.“We urge communities in human-wildlife-conflict-prone areas to always be on alert and not deliberately put their lives in danger. Furthermore, members of the public are called upon not to take the law into the hands by hunting down problem-causing animals.”

Elephant conflicts escalate

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-05

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Elephant conflicts escalate

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-05

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