Botswana: Elephants Destroy Buffalo Fence


The Voice (Francistown)

29 January 2008
Posted to the web 29 January 2008

Doreen Morupisi
Maun

Elephants have started destroying the fence which is being constructed to separate grazing fields that lie between Ngami and the Okavango.

Briefing councilors during the NWDC full council session this week Dr Kefentse Motshegwa from veterinary services department said 11 kilometres of the fence which would separate 2c from 2d (former Setata fence) has been erected of which 3.5 kilometres was complete with droppers. However, he was quick to point out that elephants have already started destroying the fence.


Updating the councilors on the upgrading of the buffalo fence Dr Motshegwa said bush clearing was underway although he said they have been delays caused by breakdowns of contractors' machinery.

He said 116 hectares has been cleared so far.

After the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Ngami area in October last year, agriculture minister Mr Johnnie Swartz held kgotla meetings in the region where he briefed farmers about measures his ministry has put in place to try and arrest the situation.

Briefing them about the disease, Dr Motshegwa said in January this year, there were 1251 reported cases of FMD in the region, up from 215 when the disease was first reported in October last year. Seven hundred and nine cases were reported in November whilst December registered 1207, Dr Motshegwa said.

He said though the disease was initially restricted to Habu extension area only, the infection has since spread due to lack of physical barriers and the extensive movement of cattle in search of grazing and water in the delta's tributaries.

Since November, after the initial downpours, cattle dispersed and started appearing outside Habu, thus spreading the disease even further, first cases hitting Sehithwa mid December. Crushes affected this far include Thololamoro, Legothwana and Kgomotshwana and villages include Semboyo, Setata and Mapute.

A total of 98820 cattle out of an expected 109927, Dr Motshegwa further explained, have been inspected and vaccinated. He further noted that surveillance and mop up vaccinations continue around the infected crushes and vulnerable areas like Semboyo.


"Movement ban remains in place in Maun...slaughter for butcheries is only allowed in Gumare but only in selected crushes in the North and East of the village," he said, adding that though Shakawe is also a red zone area, there is some flexibility on the sale of beef.

Meanwhile cases of lethobo, the stable fly which terrorized tame animals a few years ago in the region, have been reported in some areas in the Ngami. Dr Motshegwa confirmed this and said his office was on the alert.

BOPA.