Botswana: Buffaloes Terrorise NATA


Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)

19 November 2007
Posted to the web 20 November 2007

Patricia Maganu
Gaborone

Buffaloes have invaded Nata village causing mayhem and destruction and forcing residents to cower in their homes.

To compound the wildlife menace, elephants are said to be a regular feature in the village, while hippos usually make occasional forays as well. Fear of the beasts reign supreme among residents as the animals have virtually turned Nata into an animal kingdom. The village's senior subordinate tribal authority Mokgwathi Makgesi, believes the buffaloes have moved away from the wild because of drought.


"They came here looking for water because their drinking places in the wild had dried up, and I think they must have liked the place and decided to stay. It is just that they now started causing a lot of problems for people here," he said. The besieged Nata villagers sighed with relief when it started raining, and some of the animals returned to the wilderness. But others must have developed an addiction for the sweet water of the village. They keep coming back.

"Some have gone back to the forest because water is not really a problem for them anymore but some still want to drink in this river or at the water tank in the village," Makgesi said. He added that some people in the village have had terrible encounters with the animals. "Some people have been to hospital after almost getting killed by the buffaloes. There are several people who are living with scars from encounters with the animals," he revealed.

He went on to tell Monitor that as a solution, some of the buffaloes were killed when they almost took over the village. "Some of the animals, about nine, were shot dead at the Nata Sanctuary," he said. Unfortunately, buffaloes are not the only animals that terrorise the village, the headman said. "We have a serious problem of elephants. Now, those are very destructive and irresponsible animals compared to buffaloes. At least buffaloes do not care about our crops, but elephants are just after crops and destroying everything and that causes unbearable expenses for a lot of people." He said sometimes hippopotamus also come into the village but they are never in a group. "Hippos come in ones. I do not know why. When they are by the sanctuary, they could be found in a group, but at the Nata River, they will be by themselves. They are not much trouble but they are a menace when it comes to crops," he said.

He recalled that a few years ago, a hippo injured a human being. "It was there by the river and the children kept throwing stones at it and it went and hid behind a tree. So, when an innocent old woman passed by the tree, it jumped her and bit one side of her buttocks. She is still living with the scar. It was very angry," he said.

Residents said that even though buffaloes have dwindled in numbers, they are still a threat because they appear anytime, anywhere. A resident, Unopa Masole said she stays at the far end of the village and there is no way she can avoid passing near the water tank on her way to and from home.


"And that is where they like to be. I see them all the time because they like to mingle with cattle. You will see by their strange behaviour that they are not cattle once they see a person," she said. She added that the animals are deadly and on several occasions, they have chased and nearly killed children. "People, especially children are not safe. I make sure that my children and I are home by nine at night because after nine that is when they try to get to the river or the village tank. They pass on the gravel road in front of our homes," she said.

Another resident, Mompati Ditshupelo said he is always prepared for a buffalo because his brother was almost killed by one while they were together. "We were coming back from a shebeen at night when we saw a herd of cattle. We did not think anything until we saw one animal sniffing into the air. And then it pounced and my brother was not so fast and it gored him as it raced past us towards the river. It was terrifying. He is lucky to be alive because we were very drunk that night. I am very careful nowadays," he said.

Ditshupelo conceded that things were getting better because some of the beasts have gone back to the forest. "They are not so many of them any more and the other ones were killed. There are some though, and elephants. But elephants have always been a problem. All you have to do is keep out of their way and know their behaviour," he said.