http://allafrica.com/stories/201502240447.html


Namibia: Fears Over Kamanjab's Problem Elephant


By John Grobler



ALARM has been raised over plans by the Loxodonta Africana Conservancy around Kamanjab to hunt an elephant under a problem animal permit without identifying an individual animal.

Experts have warned that this would increase the potential for human-animal conflict rather than reduce it.

The Namibia Professional Hunters Association has also raised concern that this hunt, planned to take place this week was, in fact, a commercial trophy hunt disguised as a wildlife management exercise.

Deputy director of wildlife management for the north-west, Johnson Ndokosho, last week confirmed recommending a permit to shoot an elephant belonging to one of the two small herds in the area west of Etosha National Park.

"I received a letter about a week ago from the conservancy who complained that the elephant was destroying fences and water installations," Ndokosho said.

Ndokosho said the application was approved to "... give something back" to the conservancy in return for their losses - but it appears they have not followed ministerial guidelines by first investigating the damage and identifying a specific elephant.

Concerned farmers in the area told The Namibian that Windhoek was routinely approving and rubber-stamping hunting permits - especially the controversial "shoot and sell" ones loved by cash-strapped communal conservancies.

Conservationists were also concerned because the designated professional hunter Jan du Plessis, chairman of Loxodonta conservancy, was allegedly also involved in a controversial incident in Mangetti two years ago when a pregnant black rhino cow was shot instead of a post-breeding bull.

Du Plessis did not return any calls and repeated text messages seeking comment from him on his links to controversial hunting outfitter Peter Thormählen, who also owns a farm in the area together with deputy trade and industry minister Tjekero Tweya.

Instead, Du Plessis circulated an e-mail among Loxodonta Conservancy members, asking them not speak to any reporters.

Dr Betsy Fox, an expert in desert megafauna, who was previously employed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) until her retirement, warned that such hunts - where no specific animal is identified - typically resulted in the biggest tusker being shot out.

Although little is known of the elephants' migratory patterns, elephant bulls move between the true desert-adapted elephant herds of the Namib and other populations, especially during the rainy season.

Fox, now working with Elephant-Human Relations Aid (EHRA), said shooting only the older bulls would perpetuate human-animal conflicts.

"They are the ones with all the knowledge and they teach the younger bulls. They spread their genes among all the groups and so sustain the population's viability," Fox said.

When older bulls disappear from herds, the younger bulls often display sexually inappropriate behaviour like attempting to mount other animals, she said.

Without guidance from older animals, the younger bulls were also likely to cause damage, she said. "When they, for example, cannot get to water, the young bulls damage installations and windmills, often just because they are playful."

The Loxodonta Conservancy itself appeared divided over the planned elephant hunt, with lodge operators accusing the management committee of just looking to make a quick buck.

"We wonder if they will be bringing in a client to hunt this 'problem animal' as they have done on a previous occasion," one manager of a lodge said. Like several others spoken to, he preferred to remain anonymous because of fears of a backlash from MET.

Inquiries with the CITES office in Windhoek established that Loxodonta would in fact be allowed to export such a trophy, even though this meant a loss amounting to thousands of dollars in trophy hunting fees a normal trophy hunt would earn.

"We (EHRA) regularly offer [Kamanjab] farmers our services in protecting their property like building walls around water installations - all it takes is a bit of cement, effort and time," said Fox. "But it seems they prefer to shoot an elephant rather than take the appropriate measures."

This is the sort of antics that's becoming more common in the Concession areas. Some believe they can do whatever they want.

Sad.

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
This is the sort of antics that's becoming more common in the Concession areas. Some believe they can do whatever they want.

And just exactly how does a "Professional" Hunter mistake a pregnant black rhino cow for an old bull? Guess the dollar signs in his binoculars must be to blame. He should get that fixed.

Sad.

OPUS: You have no idea what the hell you're talking about regarding this incident. The PH, Jan du Plessis, is highly regarded, and is totally blameless in the death of the cow rhino. The hunter panicked when the cow rhino bluff charged, and shot when he was specifically instructed not to shoot unless given the go ahead. There were two Namibian game wardens present during the hunt, and if Jan had done anything wrong he would have been cited or had his license suspended. Your accusation that "dollar signs in his binoculars must be to blame" is both reckless and libelous. Shut your pie hole when you don't have the facts right.

Thanks for the clarification of the rino incident and I have deleted that part of my post.

So, cement and wire stops elephant?
Kinda like " Dream on"?
When do people get the fact that populations have to be managed by hunting?
This is not Pleistocene
Wildlife management by hunting is done all over Europe and North America, why is it wrong to manage wildlife in Africa by hunting?

quote:

So, cement and wire stops elephant?Kinda like " Dream on"?When do people get the fact that populations have to be managed by hunting?This is not PleistoceneWildlife management by hunting is done all over Europe and North America, why is it wrong to manage wildlife in Africa by hunting?

I did not read this as an anti hunter situation, but the bringing to light of the misuse of a problem animal control permit.

You're right Bwana Cecil
I just couldn't help it

quote:

Originally posted by bwana cecil:

quote:

So, cement and wire stops elephant?Kinda like " Dream on"?When do people get the fact that populations have to be managed by hunting?This is not PleistoceneWildlife management by hunting is done all over Europe and North America, why is it wrong to manage wildlife in Africa by hunting?

I did not read this as an anti hunter situation, but the bringing to light of the alleged misuse of a problem animal control permit.

Unless you're of the opinion that everything on the Internet is true, I suggest the change above.

It's always, at least in theory, better to get money for a problem animal. That said, the potential for corrupting the process when there is money to be made is just far too high. Namibia is already somewhat famous for this in the sphere of lion hunting around Etosha.

In addition, if you are dealing with a problem animal, it sorta makes sense to actually shoot the actual animal causing the problem and not just a trophy animal of the same species.

Lion around Etosha has been a shoot first, fill out the paperwork later proposition.

Maybe a little more attention to detail is warranted.

If a problem is to be solved by removing just a single individual animal, then it is critical that the particular animal be identified first. The apparent lack of identification of the problem animal gives this whole thing a fishy odor.