Elephants kill 100-year-old man

26 April, 2010

GUMARE - A 100 year-old-man was recently killed by elephants between Lebala and Tubi cattle posts in the vicinity of the Botswana/Namibia border post.

According to Gumare police chief, Superintendent Waboraro Ramoja, the old man was viciously attacked when he was travelling from the Lebala cattle posts en route to the Tubi to ask for tobacco.

Mr Ramoja warned the residents to avoid going into the areas that are infested with dangerous wild animals to avoid violent attacks.

However, he could not conceal his disappointment over the family to have allowed a man at such an advanced age to walk a long distance unaccompanied given the danger posed to humans by the marauding wild animals considering that he had 43-year-old son who should have been sent on such an errand.

Although the human-elephant clashes are rife in the Okavango Sub District the incident is the first of its type to be reported to the Gumare police since the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, a 25-year-old man of Komana lands sustained a serious injury when a rifle he was holding was accidently triggered resulting in a wound on his right armpit.

The young man was riding a horse while looking after cattle when the horse stumbled into a hole which resulted in the rifle going off, he said.

He said the victim has been referred to the Mahalapye hospital where he is receiving treatment.

He advised the residents to avoid keeping their rifles on a safe mode before actual use to obviate the possibility of such accidents occurring.

Supt Ramoja also expressed his concern about a spate of cases of unlawful possession of firearms in his area of jurisdiction.

He cautioned the residents to apply for temporary licenses whenever they wanted to use rifles belonging to some other persons so that they are screened to establish whether they are qualified to possess a gun.

He warned that where rifles change hands illegally and they are involved in criminal activities, the owner stands to lose their permit on suspicion that they might have connived with the person who is unlawfully in possession of a firearm. BOPA

Smoking kills!