Travel warning issued for Brandberg
Tourism operators in the Brandberg area are taking precautions after two lions caused havoc in a sheep kraal, while the environment ministry said there should be no farming in the wilderness area.
A travel alert was issued yesterday to travellers in the Brandberg area after lions killed more than 170 sheep there.
Two lions on Monday night killed more than 170 livestock in the communal farming area in the vicinity of the Brandberg.
The National Heritage Council of Namibia yesterday issued the warning, stating that no tours will be conducted at the Brandberg Heritage Site (White Lady Hike) until further notice.
“The service at the site is therefore put on hold until the institution finds a solution to the above-mentioned problem.”
It is suspected that two well-known desert-adapted lions from the Ugab River killed 172 sheep at Brandberg in the vicinity of White Lady Lodge on Monday night.
The 172 sheep that were killed were part of between 600 and 700 sheep owned by the owners of the White Lady Lodge in an area where they operate a tourism business.
The environment ministry yesterday confirmed the incident and said officials were immediately deployed to the scene to verify and investigate the incident.
According to the ministry preliminary investigations indicated that two lions were seen in the area close to the lodge and are suspected to have killed the sheep.
The ministry said lions from the Ugab River system had established themselves in the Brandberg area over the years and that the area is a good wildlife habitat with increasing tourism.
“While we are concerned by so many sheep being killed by wild animals in one night, we are shocked about lodge operators keeping livestock in a tourism business area and very close to their lodge.
“This is a wildlife habitat area where the lions should be roaming. We have also confirmed that the lodge owners were assisted by some people in the area to construct lion-proof kraals for the protection of the livestock but these kraals have been built to low standard and poor quality which could not prevent this incident.”
All predator-proof kraals should be built to specific standards and specifications, which can be obtained from the ministry, it said.
Officials of the ministry remain in the area for further monitoring of this pride and possible further action if necessary.
The ministry said despite efforts to manage human-wildlife conflict, it appears that human-lion conflict incidents are on the rise.
High rainfall variability associated with the recently experienced drought influence the distribution of predators and prey species, as well as the movements of people and their livestock. In order for the ministry to manage human-lion conflict, measures are being implemented in accordance with the North West Human Lion Conflict Management Plan and the National Policy on Human Wildlife Conflict Management.
These include improved livestock husbandry, early warning systems and establishing rapid-response units.
ELLANIE SMIT
Two lions on Monday night killed more than 170 livestock in the communal farming area in the vicinity of the Brandberg.
The National Heritage Council of Namibia yesterday issued the warning, stating that no tours will be conducted at the Brandberg Heritage Site (White Lady Hike) until further notice.
“The service at the site is therefore put on hold until the institution finds a solution to the above-mentioned problem.”
It is suspected that two well-known desert-adapted lions from the Ugab River killed 172 sheep at Brandberg in the vicinity of White Lady Lodge on Monday night.
The 172 sheep that were killed were part of between 600 and 700 sheep owned by the owners of the White Lady Lodge in an area where they operate a tourism business.
The environment ministry yesterday confirmed the incident and said officials were immediately deployed to the scene to verify and investigate the incident.
According to the ministry preliminary investigations indicated that two lions were seen in the area close to the lodge and are suspected to have killed the sheep.
The ministry said lions from the Ugab River system had established themselves in the Brandberg area over the years and that the area is a good wildlife habitat with increasing tourism.
“While we are concerned by so many sheep being killed by wild animals in one night, we are shocked about lodge operators keeping livestock in a tourism business area and very close to their lodge.
“This is a wildlife habitat area where the lions should be roaming. We have also confirmed that the lodge owners were assisted by some people in the area to construct lion-proof kraals for the protection of the livestock but these kraals have been built to low standard and poor quality which could not prevent this incident.”
All predator-proof kraals should be built to specific standards and specifications, which can be obtained from the ministry, it said.
Officials of the ministry remain in the area for further monitoring of this pride and possible further action if necessary.
The ministry said despite efforts to manage human-wildlife conflict, it appears that human-lion conflict incidents are on the rise.
High rainfall variability associated with the recently experienced drought influence the distribution of predators and prey species, as well as the movements of people and their livestock. In order for the ministry to manage human-lion conflict, measures are being implemented in accordance with the North West Human Lion Conflict Management Plan and the National Policy on Human Wildlife Conflict Management.
These include improved livestock husbandry, early warning systems and establishing rapid-response units.
ELLANIE SMIT
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