Mozambique: Conflict With Wild Animals in Niassa

Maputo — The provincial government in the northern Mozambican province of Niassa is continuing to work to identify mechanisms to mitigate the conflict between humans and wild animals, which has resulted in deaths and the destruction of extensive areas of crops.

At a rally addressed by Mozambican President Armando Guebuza in the administrative post of Muapula in Maua district, residents called for action against elephants that had recently invaded the area, sowing panic.

According to information presented to an extraordinary session of the Provincial Government, ten firearms have been allocated to the district to defend people and property. Also in the package of measures undertaken to deal with the situation is the creation of five hunting areas, and 63 community committees.

The provincial executive, according to the report, has trained 15 community hunters, 42 guards and four community game wardens.

Ill be hunting 70 miles from this area in four days. Hopefully sort out a pesky Leopard for them..

I was involved in trying to establish a hunting area in the Maua district last year,with an American outfitter who really screwed it all up - that's another story.

One of our responsibilities to the community was to undertake Problem Animal Control,with emphasis on elephant control, in an effort to limit the damage caused by these pachyderms.

In my efforts, I never shot one elephant as a problem animal. Why, you may ask? The damage caused was never life threatening, save for perhaps the odd meander through a village at night. I witnessed the occassional forage through grain bins, but valueless in terms of loss.

In an area devoid of wildlife,and nutritional red meat, the easiest method these guys know of is to get authorities to shoot an elephant,resulting in exaggerated descriptions of damage caused to their fields.

Incessant poaching over decades has created this hunger for meat.I was told,on several occassions by the local agricultural director, that I MUST shoot an elephant,to keep the villages happy and off his back - again, I never did, and as I was accompanied by a local police officer, I was able to convince the authorities that there was no problem necessitating the killing of an elephant.

The USA will not allow importation of Mozambique elephant because the country can't provide an acceptable elephant management program which is being implemented, and until they do, which in my opinion I don't believe they can, importation will never be allowed.

A slap in the face for us guys who are desperately trying to do what we can to ensure the future of both a viable elephant population and the continuation of our sport.

Bunny huggers just love this kind of crap !