http://www.newera.com.na/artic...=41577&title=Farmers kill wild lion


Farmers kill wild lion - by Irene !Hoaës

09 Nov 2011


WINDHOEK - Farmers whose lives were endangered by a wild lion in the Aminuis constituency killed the beast on Monday.

According to the councillor of the area, Erwin Uanguta, the lion was spotted on Saturday last week. It apparently entered Namibia from Botswana.
“The lion was first spotted in the Corridor 4 area but later moved to Corridor 3 and later to Farm Soronto,” Uanguta said.

He said the lion had killed horses, cows and donkeys since Saturday.
“We called in commercial farmers and the conservation people to help us hunt down the animal.”

The lion was eventually spotted at Otjorukune and was killed between 14h00 and 15h00 on Monday after a two-day hunt.

The Deputy Director of Parks and Wildlife Management, Colgar Sikopo, confirmed the incident.

“The lion was reported and officials from Gobabis were sent there but they got there too late, as the lion had already been shot by the farmers,” said Sikopo who, however, contradicted the councillor saying conservation officials were not part of the hunting team. Sikopo said the fear was that the animal could kill human beings and was thus immediately declared a problem animal.

“But our officials are investigating. If we find that the lion did not threaten any human lives, some people could be prosecuted,” he said.

He said it was possible that elephants damaged the fence between Botswana and Namibia, causing the lion to stray into Namibia.

Sikopo however said lions do live in that area and that their presence is not uncommon.