Wild animals put livestock, people at risk
The ministry of environment and tourism has reported that many of the wild animals that escaped from Etosha National Park last few months have returned on their own except for two rhinos which were rescued by ministry officials, and a lioness that was killed Uulungawakolondo.
The ministry also reported that Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo, one of the appointed kings of the Ondonga, made a request to the ministry to remove a wildebeest that has been grazing among his cattle for about a month at his palace Onambango near Ondangwa, about 100 kilometres from Etosha.
This is a very dangerous and risky interaction, for especially the cattle. Wildebeest carry the African form of malignant catarrhal fever which is due to alcelaphine herpesvirus-1. This disease spreads easily to cattle and is then known as wildebeest-associated malignant catarrhal fever. It is characterised by a necrotising arteritis affecting many body systems. Affected cattle usually die within a week of onset of signs.
The disease can transmit between wildebeest and cattle over a distance of at least 100 metres, and it is suggested that cattle need to be kept at least one kilometre from wildebeest. Game farms with wildebeest are obliged by law to have double fences.
For the past two months many wild animals escaped from the park and they have been roaming freely.
It began with the attack of 49-year-old cattle herder Elia Usiku on 23 March near the military base at Uulungawakolondo by a lioness that he managed to kill. Then zebras, kudus and wildebeest started appearing all over the northern regions.
On 3 April, there was high drama at Uukwiyu-Uushona in Oshana and Omuntele in Oshikoto, where residents received visits from two black rhinos.
Environment ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda confirmed to Namibian Sun that many of these animal returned to Etosha on their own, apart from a few that remained behind.
“Our officials have been monitoring the situation and have found out that many of the wild animals in the northern region have gone back to the Etosha National Park on their own. We still have some roaming around. There is one zebra in a grazing enclosure at a village about 20 kilometres from Oshakati,” Muyunda said.
A traditional councillor in the Onambango faction Kashona Malulu said one day during the mourning period of the late Ondonga king Immanuel Kauluma Elifas last month, a wildebeest came to Nangolo's house at Onambango before it become part of his livestock.
“One day at midday a wildebeest jumped Nangolo's fence and went straight into the cattle kraal but there was no cattle that time. It stayed there and in the afternoon when the cattle came it went out and after all the cattle entered the kraal it went back into the kraal and from that day it started living and grazing in harmony with his livestock,” Malulu said.
Muyunda said the wildebeest was later relocated back to Etosha on Shuumbwa's request.
“The wildebeest that was at Onambango village has been relocated to Etosha by our officials. It was removed after the owner of the veld were it was grazing complained about his water and fodder.”
Muyunda said they suspect that the wild animals escaped Etosha in search of pasture and water due to the dry conditions.
The environment ministry needs at least N$500 million to fix more than 700 kilometres of fencing around the Etosha National Park fence to prevent the increasing number of wildlife escapes from the park.
ILENI NANDJATO
The ministry also reported that Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo, one of the appointed kings of the Ondonga, made a request to the ministry to remove a wildebeest that has been grazing among his cattle for about a month at his palace Onambango near Ondangwa, about 100 kilometres from Etosha.
This is a very dangerous and risky interaction, for especially the cattle. Wildebeest carry the African form of malignant catarrhal fever which is due to alcelaphine herpesvirus-1. This disease spreads easily to cattle and is then known as wildebeest-associated malignant catarrhal fever. It is characterised by a necrotising arteritis affecting many body systems. Affected cattle usually die within a week of onset of signs.
The disease can transmit between wildebeest and cattle over a distance of at least 100 metres, and it is suggested that cattle need to be kept at least one kilometre from wildebeest. Game farms with wildebeest are obliged by law to have double fences.
For the past two months many wild animals escaped from the park and they have been roaming freely.
It began with the attack of 49-year-old cattle herder Elia Usiku on 23 March near the military base at Uulungawakolondo by a lioness that he managed to kill. Then zebras, kudus and wildebeest started appearing all over the northern regions.
On 3 April, there was high drama at Uukwiyu-Uushona in Oshana and Omuntele in Oshikoto, where residents received visits from two black rhinos.
Environment ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda confirmed to Namibian Sun that many of these animal returned to Etosha on their own, apart from a few that remained behind.
“Our officials have been monitoring the situation and have found out that many of the wild animals in the northern region have gone back to the Etosha National Park on their own. We still have some roaming around. There is one zebra in a grazing enclosure at a village about 20 kilometres from Oshakati,” Muyunda said.
A traditional councillor in the Onambango faction Kashona Malulu said one day during the mourning period of the late Ondonga king Immanuel Kauluma Elifas last month, a wildebeest came to Nangolo's house at Onambango before it become part of his livestock.
“One day at midday a wildebeest jumped Nangolo's fence and went straight into the cattle kraal but there was no cattle that time. It stayed there and in the afternoon when the cattle came it went out and after all the cattle entered the kraal it went back into the kraal and from that day it started living and grazing in harmony with his livestock,” Malulu said.
Muyunda said the wildebeest was later relocated back to Etosha on Shuumbwa's request.
“The wildebeest that was at Onambango village has been relocated to Etosha by our officials. It was removed after the owner of the veld were it was grazing complained about his water and fodder.”
Muyunda said they suspect that the wild animals escaped Etosha in search of pasture and water due to the dry conditions.
The environment ministry needs at least N$500 million to fix more than 700 kilometres of fencing around the Etosha National Park fence to prevent the increasing number of wildlife escapes from the park.
ILENI NANDJATO
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article