Dusk to Dawn ‘Curfew’
Friday, 24th of August 2007

... Marauding Jumbos Swamp Regions

By Petronella Sibeene

WINDHOEK

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has advised residents of the Caprivi and Kavango regions to desist from wandering around at night and in the early hours of the morning to avoid being trampled by marauding elephants.
The warning, particularly to villages prone to wild animal attacks, comes in the wake of an upsurge in elephant attacks on human beings.

Environment officials estimate that there are over 20 000 elephants in the Caprivi Region alone while in Kavango Region, the elephant population is estimated at 3 000.

The recent increase in elephant attacks is attributed to the animals’ migration from the Chobe National Park in Botswana, and other parks in neighbouring Angola and Zambia.

The so-called human/wildlife conflict in Namibia is a long-stan-ding problem. In 2005, about 3 194 incidents by different animal species were reported countrywide says Brian Jones in his report titled “Human Wildlife Conflict in Namibia.â€

Incidents, he says, mainly involve destruction of crops by elephants, killing of livestock by predators such as hyenas, jackals and leopard, in some instances human injury and even death, particularly when the jumbos attack.

This year, four cases of death resulting from elephant attacks were recorded in the Caprivi Region. A man in his mid-20s is recovering from injuries sustained after he collided with an elaphant that was crossing his path.

Acting Chief Control Warden at Rundu, Chrispin Nkonkwena, told New Era yesterday that it is the elephant’s calving season now and they have multiplied significantly.

In 2004, the total population of elephants was estimated at 16 000.
The huge number of elephants in the Caprivi Region presents Namibia with a management challenge, said Nkonkwena.
“Our communities are suffering as animals are damaging especially crops during the ploughing and harvest period,†said Nkonkwena.

He added that his office is running an awareness programme on the national radio for residents to avoid moving around from 16h00 to the early hours of the morning.

A community-based resource management team holds meetings with communities and traditional leaders informing them about the risks of moving “after hoursâ€.

The Director of Parks and Wildlife Management in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ben Beytell, says there is an elephant management plan that allows for the creation of corridors for elephants to move to neighbouring countries such as Angola (along the Cuando River) and Botswana. These animals come in and out of Namibia.

He confirmed that there are too many elephants in Botswana and they are spilling over into Namibia. The parks and wildlife management are scheduled to carry out game counts in the Kavango Region early next month.

The management department, according to Beytell, is concerned with the number of animals in Khaudum National Park that he says has increased and the carrying capacity is strained.

He said: “It is a dry area and the high population is likely to affect other game. This might, in the long run, be detrimental to the vegetation as well.â€
To balance the number of elephants in these areas, the ministry has to sometimes cull and also allow nature to take its course such as starving, although Beytell says this option is not the best.

Further, Nkonkwena said the Government this year introduced a quota on trophy hunting for elephants. He said five elephants and two crocodiles are allowed to be killed.

The exercise is still in its trial stage to see if it can be fully implemented in order to reduce the numbers of these animals.
Trophy hunting in Namibia starts in February and ends in November.

Gonna allow five bulls to be taken this year! Yea, That should solve the problem.

I'm sure that that quota will placate the relatives of all those killed and soon to be killed. By the way, which 5 bulls and two crocs do you take? The ones that have killed or eaten the most?