Marauding elephants uproot water pipes - by Albertina Nakale

From The New Era


WALVIS BAY – Herds of thirsty elephants around the Ugab River bordering Erongo and Kunene regions have invaded about three villages in search of water, uprooting water pipes in the process.

This has left herds of livestock and scores of villagers without water.

The incident is reported to have occurred early this month around Ozondati, Omungambu and Okotjoto villages in Daures constituency, Erongo Region.

All the affected villages are based in Uhungu Conservancy.

Villagers believe the elephant herds migrated as far as Etosha National Park through Kunene into Erongo in search of water.

The elephants are reported to have almost doubled in the conservancy from 35 last year to 60 this year.

Most of the elephants are alleged to have calves and are known to be more violent and destructive because they protect and feed their young ones.

New Era spoke to Senior Headman of the three affected villages, Judas Haakuria (81) who described the situation as worrisome and disturbing saying his community is afraid to move at night. He is also concerned that the community is experiencing a shortage of water now and then as a result of the elephants. And sometimes, there is no water at all when the elephants pull out the water pipes from the ground while searching for water.

Because of their strong sense of smell, the elephants normally smell water through leakages and pull out the pipes out of desperation to reach the precious commodity.

He added that sometimes members of his community meet the elephants at water points in the villages and the situation does not augur well.

Villagers are demanding that government sink boreholes in the bush far from the villagers for animals including elephants to avoid them getting closer to people’s water points and further destruction.

They further suggested that in order to decrease the number of these elephants, Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) should capture them and sell them.

Since the grazing area has become too small for the elephants to graze as they have increased and Ugab River where they normally get water is dry at the moment.

In addition, villagers also suggested that signboards be erected in the area to warn the travellers and tourism on the roaming of the elephants.

But no major incident has thus far been reported except damage to property.

Villagers also want compensation from government for diesel expenses as a result of water loss by the elephants.

They complain that their water bills are too high because they have to share water with the elephants.
Villagers say they are troubled by elephants every year mostly from January to April.

Meanwhile, environment officials say they have been to the area and have assessed the situation describing it as “under control”.

Regarding the request by villagers to construct boreholes for animals, MET official, Wensel Mavara, stressed that as far as the ministry is concerned, the idea to construct boreholes for wild animals is already in existence. He says the ministry has thus far constructed some boreholes for wild animals in areas such as the Brandberg mountain areas.

“It is high time that people accept that animals are there to live with us. In other countries where people have exercised friendship with wild animals such as elephants including lions, these animals have become domestic animals. And they are being used for tourist attraction and Namibia can do the same,” Mavara emphasised.

"...become domestic animals"?? I'm skeptical.

Also, I believe that drilling wells for the animals will have unforseen consequences. Perhaps it should be done, but the results might not be as expected.

Thanks for the interesting post.

I have traveled through this country several times and from what I see if there is water made available then there will be people coming to take advantage of it.It is the creation of boreholes along the North-South highway that has brought so many people into this region already.

In Kenya there's a huge pipe that runs parallel to the Nairobi Mombasa road in Tsavo West. It is totally buried but there are inspection hatches every now and again. Returning North to Nairobi from a mooch around I noticed a lot of elephant sign on the track and smashed up bush so I jumped out for a look around. The inspection hatches are padlocked steel covers embedded in concrete and big enough for a couple of engineers to jump down; the pipe runs about six to ten feet under ground. I noticed both steel covers ripped off, one I found about fifty yards away, the other was nowhere to be seen out to a hundred yards circle. The elephants had destroyed the hatch to get at a small leak of water which was gathering under the pipe.

quote:

“It is high time that people accept that animals are there to live with us. In other countries where people have exercised friendship with wild animals such as elephants including lions, these animals have become domestic animals. And they are being used for tourist attraction and Namibia can do the same,” Mavara emphasised.

This is the dumbest quote I've read from a wildlife official. Lets all be friends with the elephants and the lions too...

What ignorant gibberish.

JPK

you get alot of that kind of double talk brain dead statements in kenya. As someone who has lived there thats not the worst statement I have heard but close