Elephant tramples man to death

WINDHOEK FAITH SANKWASA

A 43-year-old man from Sangwali village, south of Caprivi Region, was trampled to death by an elephant on Sunday evening.
The deceased, whose next of kin have been informed, has been identified as Mushadile Vasco Lumaibile.
The incident comes in the awake of another elephant attack that claimed the life of 69-year-old Bernard Sikasola Simataa from Ngwasu village in the Masikili area of the Kabbe Constituency on April 15.
According to Caprivi Regional Crime Investigation Co-ordinator, Deputy Police Commissioner Rudolf Kanyetu, Lumaibile is believed to have been attacked while on his way back to his homestead from a nearby village.
Kanyetu said it is not known what caused the elephant to attack the deceased.
I do not have the full details of the attack, but the deceased has been indentified. I believe the deceased may have been on his way home, when he took a shortcut through the bushes where the elephant was, Kanyetu said.
Two weeks ago, Simataa met his death when he was attacked by an elephant between 09:00 and 10:00, while he was on his way to borrow a knife to use during a fishing trip.
The knife was to be used to cut and dry his fish at the riverside.
According to reports Simataa, found himself facing a herd of elephant when he attempted to cross a stream that separates the two villages.
Simataa dead on the spot and his body was discovered shortly afterward by two villagers, who were on their way to collect wild fruit.
However, police and nature conservation officers could only retrieve Simataa's corpse using a speedboat the next day, due to the flooded stream.
Kanyetu said it is not known whether the conservation officials will hunt down the elephant, as villagers had failed to do so.