Lions escape from park - by Helvy Tueumuna

From The New Era
June 25, 2010



OSHAKATI – Villagers in the Oshana and Oshikoto regions are living in fear of lions that escaped from the Etosha National Park.

So far three lions have been spotted at villages around Cham-Cham, while some kudus, also from the park, were seen at Ohakweenyanga village in Ongwediva and at villages around Ondangwa.

Since last Sunday, the lions have reportedly killed ten cattle at Cham-Cham.

Chief Control Warden for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Chrispin Nkonkwena, confirmed the escape of the wild animals from Etosha.

Nkonkwena said the lions escaped “because they probably wanted to prey on farm animals, such as cattle and goats”.

“It is easier for a lion to catch cattle than a kudu or a springbok. Those animals are easy to prey on,” he said.

He added that it is not difficult for lions to leave Etosha because the fence around the park is not jackal-proof.

“But even if it is a jackal-proof fence, a lion has many ways of escaping,” he said.

Nkonkwena said the kudus ended up among the people because of floods this year.

According to him, wild animals “run away when there is too much water”.

He said nature conservation officials have so far managed to capture the kudus that were spotted at Ondangwa, and the officials are closely monitoring the lions at Cham-Cham.

Nkonkwena said keeping wild animals away from people “has to be a joint venture between nature conservation and members of the communities”.

He urged people to report the presence of wild animals to nearby nature conservation offices.