Stray elephants return to Mtungutu Forest
SOSTHENES MWITA in Dodoma
Daily News; Wednesday,August 29, 2007 @00:04

THE five stray elephants, one of which killed a soldier with the Msalato camp of the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF), Mr Paschal Chiwaligo, have walked back into Mtungutu Forest without further harm to humans.

A spokesperson of the Regional Wildlife Department said a team of armed game wardens followed the tracks of the retreating herd of elephants to Zuzu in Bahi District but failed to continue as they lost the tracks.

The spokesperson said, however, that the jumbos are likely to have retreated to their sanctuary in Mtungutu Conservation Forest where wild animals are prevalent. He said the game wardens, who had orders to shoot to kill, returned without firing a shot.

Last Friday morning, villagers at Msalato on the northern fringes of the municipality woke up to find a five-strong herd of elephants in their midst. Ignorant of the best moves to ward off the beasts the villages made a lot of noises banging empty tins.

Instead of scaring the elephants, the noise enraged the elephants and had them running amok. One of the incensed elephants caught up with a 20-year-old youth, Yohana Akida, and injured him seriously. He is fighting for his life at the Regional Hospital.

Armed Game Wardens were called in but their efforts to drive the elephants out of the area were futile, even after shooting one of the animals in the rump three times. The injured animal got so mad that the villagers and wardens retreated to a discreet distance.

It was at this juncture that the late Chiwaligo arrived on the scene. He said he would drive away the jumbos single handedly. “Everyone advised not to challenge the elephants without a firearm but to know avail,†a villager, Alice Bukuku, said.

Bukuku said the late Chiwaligo approached the raving mad heard of elephants waving his hands and shouting at them. “When he got dangerously close to the herd one of the jumbos flapped its ears angrily and charged,†an eyewitness said.

The elephant seized the soldier with its massive prehensile trunk as the watching crowd held their breath in bewilderment and shock. The elephant hoisted the soldier high and smashed him against the trunk of a nearby tree killing him almost instantly.

The elephants’ presence at Msalato has baffled wildlife officials. No-one reported seeing them traveling from Mtungutu to Msalato a distance of nearly 50 kilometres that is dotted by villages.

Sounds like he had a death wish.

quote:

Armed Game Wardens were called in but their efforts to drive the elephants out of the area were futile, even after shooting one of the animals in the rump three times. The injured animal got so mad that the villagers and wardens retreated to a discreet distance.

This is sure prevent future problems.

Hey, I hunted with that guy once ...

It's a start...

now, if we can only get the five to take out about twenty million more apiece, and start with Mugabwe (sp?)

Rich
DRSS