Namibia: Etosha National Park Fence a Worry - MP


The Namibian (Windhoek)

December 12, 2006
Posted to the web December 12, 2006

Absalom Shigwedha


A SWAPO MP in the National Council (NC) says he is concerned about the maintenance of the fences around the Etosha National Park.

Bartholomeus Shangheta told the House that wildlife escaping from the park were causing problems for nearby farmers.


"One wonders whether this national park is maintained properly with the purpose to protect the lives of people against the dangerous wild animals such as lions and elephants, just to mention but a few," he said.

He said elephants and lions were causing problems at commercial farms in his Otavi constituency in the Otjozondjupa Region.

"The movements of these animals in commercial farmland have become a serious concern and pose a direct threat to livestock and people's livelihoods," he said.

Sounds like some PAC permits need to be issued!

I hunted a farm that was in the second tier of farms south of Etosha. Many of the neighboring farms ran cattle and I was told they generally shoot lions on sight. One neighbor estimated he had shot several dozen in his lifetime. He also had an enclosure with 2 cheetahs in it. Seems that he had shot a cheetah several years back that was harassing his cattle and it turned out to have 2 cubs. He couldn't bring himself to shoot the cubs so he kept and raised them. I got a kick out of watching the cheetahs eyeing up the farmers little dog every time it wandered past. Kinda like, "If we ever get out of here you're lunch!"

I hunt every year in Namibia and, over the years, the game farm of some 70,000 acres has fenced itself with a state of the art game fence. Warthogs regularly dig their way under the fence. I've seen a mile long stretch with half a dozen holes. It's a maintenance nightmare and the farm owner has a regular patrol to add big rocks and iron bars to block these holes. Same thing at Etosha where the lion and other predators simply use the warthog tunnels to move into greener pastures. Elephants are something else as they can do in any game fence unless it's seriously electrified. Sorry, lads, just give Etosha the maintenance budget it needs.
Regards, Tim

Some folks I hunted with three years ago that have a place 45 miles NE of Winchoeck had elephants come across their farm last year, absolutely destroying their fences. They had never even seen an elephant before and are nowhere close to Etosha.