Elephants terrorise villagers
Villagers at Ondjungulume in the Omusati Region say a group of four elephants has moved in and nothing is being done to halt the destruction.
Four elephants are reported to be causing havoc at Ondjungulume in the Omusati Region and community members say they live in fear of animals.
Villagers reported that their crops, fences and homesteads have been destroyed while nature conservation officials are doing nothing, they say.
They also reported that these elephants, three adults and a calf have been in their village for about three weeks and have caused enormous damage.
Speaking on behalf of Ondjungulume village headman Francisco Nekwaya, Paulus Nuuyoma said they do not know where these elephants come from and that this is the first time they came into their village.
He said they are destroying their crops and property.
“These elephants mostly roam at night to destroy our crops and vandalise homesteads and fences. People are living in fear that one day they might harm them while sleeping. Conservation officials only scare them when they are approaching households during the day,” Nuuyoma said.
He added that the elephants are also playing in water ponds of their livestock turning them into muddy pools and wasting water. He continued that some villagers have abandoned their homes in fear of the grey giants.
"We are appealing to nature conservation to remove these elephants. They are telling us that they are waiting for answers from Windhoek so that they see what to do with them, but our crops and properties are being destroyed and vandalised on daily bases. Who is going to pay that damage for us?” a concerned Nuuyoma asked.
Another villager Valeria Namboga said the elephants have visited her crop fields three times and have cause serious damage to her plants and her property.
"They came into our field for three consecutive nights. There is nothing we can do to prevent them. We reported this to nature conservation officials, but they only told us not to try chasing them away because we might provoke them. It is like they come here to herd their elephants into our crop fields," Namboga stressed.
According to the chief control warden for the northern regions, Rehabeam Erki, they are aware of the elephants and they have despatched nature conservation officials to keep them under control while they are finding a solution to chase them away. He said they come into that area from the Ruacana area searching for water.
"Those elephants are attracted to Ondjungulume by the good rainfall that was received there. They come from the Ruacana area which is still very dry. Our officials are there monitoring and keeping them under control while we are waiting for a helicopter to chase them away,” Erki said.
Erki said that they are aware that the elephants are destroying crops and vandalising properties, but he urged community members not to try fighting them because they may get aggressive.
"We do not know how long it will take us to get a helicopter since it is currently in for maintenance but we have also requested help from Nampol to assist us with their helicopter as they always do. Members of the community must just bear with us while we are getting a solution to remove them," Erki.
ILENI NANDJATO
Villagers reported that their crops, fences and homesteads have been destroyed while nature conservation officials are doing nothing, they say.
They also reported that these elephants, three adults and a calf have been in their village for about three weeks and have caused enormous damage.
Speaking on behalf of Ondjungulume village headman Francisco Nekwaya, Paulus Nuuyoma said they do not know where these elephants come from and that this is the first time they came into their village.
He said they are destroying their crops and property.
“These elephants mostly roam at night to destroy our crops and vandalise homesteads and fences. People are living in fear that one day they might harm them while sleeping. Conservation officials only scare them when they are approaching households during the day,” Nuuyoma said.
He added that the elephants are also playing in water ponds of their livestock turning them into muddy pools and wasting water. He continued that some villagers have abandoned their homes in fear of the grey giants.
"We are appealing to nature conservation to remove these elephants. They are telling us that they are waiting for answers from Windhoek so that they see what to do with them, but our crops and properties are being destroyed and vandalised on daily bases. Who is going to pay that damage for us?” a concerned Nuuyoma asked.
Another villager Valeria Namboga said the elephants have visited her crop fields three times and have cause serious damage to her plants and her property.
"They came into our field for three consecutive nights. There is nothing we can do to prevent them. We reported this to nature conservation officials, but they only told us not to try chasing them away because we might provoke them. It is like they come here to herd their elephants into our crop fields," Namboga stressed.
According to the chief control warden for the northern regions, Rehabeam Erki, they are aware of the elephants and they have despatched nature conservation officials to keep them under control while they are finding a solution to chase them away. He said they come into that area from the Ruacana area searching for water.
"Those elephants are attracted to Ondjungulume by the good rainfall that was received there. They come from the Ruacana area which is still very dry. Our officials are there monitoring and keeping them under control while we are waiting for a helicopter to chase them away,” Erki said.
Erki said that they are aware that the elephants are destroying crops and vandalising properties, but he urged community members not to try fighting them because they may get aggressive.
"We do not know how long it will take us to get a helicopter since it is currently in for maintenance but we have also requested help from Nampol to assist us with their helicopter as they always do. Members of the community must just bear with us while we are getting a solution to remove them," Erki.
ILENI NANDJATO
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