http://www.namibian.com.na/538...ons-shot-at-Otamanzi


Link has photo of the lions.



Marauding lions shot at Otamanzi


News - National | 2017-04-27Page no: 1
by Marx Itamalo


A FARMER shot and killed two lions and injured others on Tuesday after they had killed 12 head of cattle at Omutambomawe at Otamanzi, about 100 kilometres from Okahao.
The lions were part of a pride of six that is believed to have strayed from the Etosha National Park a few weeks ago.

They were killed by Jason Iniko (34), nephew of farmer and businessman Andreas Ndakukamo, whose cattle the predators had killed.

Ndakukamo said the lions killed two cattle at the cattle post on 16 April, and then returned on Friday where they killed five calves. On Saturday, Ndakukamo said, the lions killed another five head of cattle.

“My two cattle herders then came to inform me at Okahao since there is no network coverage at the cattle post for them to call from there,” he said.

Although the herders heard the lions attacking the cattle, they could not do anything because they were not armed.

After the herders had informed Ndakukamo about the attack, he sent his nephews – Iniko and Paulus Shapaka (29) – to the cattle post on Sunday to hunt the big cats down.

He said they did not see the lions on Sunday and Monday, but the animals came back at dawn on Tuesday. Iniko and Shapaka tracked the lions down after finding their spoor.

“I told them to hunt from the Land Cruiser, and never to get out of the vehicle,” he said, adding that the pride put up a fierce fight before a lioness and a male were gunned down.

He said two others which sustained injuries escaped.

“It was not our intention to kill the cats. We do not want to kill any animals, but if government does not control the animals and they continue killing our livestock, we will also kill them as we have done. Cattle are expensive, and losing 12 in a week is bad,” he stated.

Ndakukamo said he has lost over 120 head of cattle, donkeys, horses, goats and chickens to lions at that cattle post since 1995.

He claimed that he had written to the environment ministry each time the lions killed his livestock, but there has been no action taken.

Iniko said after following the spoor, they realised that the lions had gone back in a circle, crossing their vehicle's tracks.

“We followed the spoor until we found them. I shot at the big lioness. It leapt towards the vehicle and I shot again, bringing it down,” he said, adding that he fired as he drove.

“My cousin does not know how to shoot or to drive, so I did both,” he said.

The second lion, he said, took several shots, somersaulted, staggered a few metres away and then fell down. He told The Namibian that he then shot at two other lions, injuring them, but they escaped into the bush.

Iniko said that it was his first time hunting or killing lions.

“I have never done it before. I was afraid, but I had to do it as there was no one else to do it. Our cattle were getting killed,” he stressed, adding that he feels proud to have killed such powerful cats that make many men shiver with fear. Environment spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said they sympathise with farmers who lose property or livestock, and will attend to the reports soon. Muyunda said the ministry was aware of the recent incident where Ndakukamo lost three of his cattle.

“We suspect that about six lions broke out of the Etosha National Park into these areas,” Muyunda said, adding that farming at the borders of a game park is always risky.

He also said they advised farmers living adjacent to the parks to keep their livestock in kraals at night, and to check their fences regularly.

“We have observed that most of the time, livestock in these areas is killed by predators usually at night, and the livestock are not kept in a kraal as recommended,” he added.

Two teams, Muyunda said, have since been sent to the affected areas to track down the lions and drive them back into the Etosha National Park.

According to him, farmers should report such cases to the environment ministry's office nearest to them.