Wild animals terrorise Nata farmers
06 November, 2008

TUTUME - Farmers in the Nata/Gweta area are reported to be terrorised by wild animals such as elephants, hyenas and lions.

In an interview, Nata Block Beef Farmers Association (NBBFA) publicity secretary, Ms Leah Mudongo said the situation was exacerbated by the fact that the natural watering points in the area had run dry, resulting in animals being forced to roam the area in search of drinking water, especially at the cattle posts.

She said the animals that terrorised them, especially elephants were freely roaming in the area and they had little control over them.

"The destruction by elephants in the area appears to be increasing.

In the past, these animals were only restricted to the area around Sepako and Manxotae, but in recent years they have moved closer to Nata and Gweta," She said. She said they had long asked government to erect cordon fence in the area to separate wildlife from farming areas, but they were still awaiting the response.

Ms Mudongo said they had notified the Department of Wildlife and National Parks office about their situation "They told us that they have dug a dam in the area in which water is pumped, but it seems to be doing little to control the animals." She said the hyenas were the most notorious killers, but what pains them was that destruction from hyenas did not attract compensation.

The current compensation rate is P400 for a calf, P700 for a cow and P900 for a bull.

Ms Mudongo said government has promised to raise the compensation and a bull would attract P1 500, an amount which she said was still far too low, considering that some people in the area were commercial farmers and rear pure breeds that could be bought for about P20 000.

Mr Benjamin Maleta, a wildlife warden in the Problem Animal Control Unit at Francistown office said they were aware of the animals' terrorism in the Nata/Gweta area and were doing something about the problem.

"As we speak, we have sent people to Ngwasha cattle posts to connect the boreholes that we have in the area and these boreholes will help ease the burden from the dam that we already have there." He said water was being pumped throughout the year into the dam, but the demand was so high that it could not water all the animals, hence the decision to connect some of the existing boreholes.

He said they received reports of problem animals around Sepako and Manxotae villages throughout the year, but the reports rise during the harvesting season and during summer as demand for water increases. BOPA

I didn't know that animals were terrorists! Brings a whole to meaning to our global war on terroism.

you mean you never heard of Osama bin Ele??

Sign me up for the battle!