Africa-Press – Angola. Herds of elephants are causing panic among the population and destroying areas of cultivation in some villages in Massangano commune, Cambambe municipality, Cuanza Norte province.
The villages of Nova Oeiras Calengue, Canguenhe and Cambunze are the most targeted, where, in addition to panic, oil palm, banana and sweet potato crops are being devastated.
The administrator of the commune, Manuel Pascoal Simão, confirmed the presence of the mammals in the region, stating that the matter had already been reported to the competent authorities, such as institutions linked to the Environment, Forestry Development Institute, National Police and Civil Protection Services and Firefighters.
The elephants have been in these villages for 15 days, where they are seen for the first time.
People are resorting to burning tires and sound instruments to scare the animals away, he said.
It is presumed that they are lost elephants from the Golungo Alto forest reserve (Cuanza Norte) or that they have escaped from the Quissama National Park, in the province of Luanda, and reached the Massangano region by crossing the Kwanza River.
Due to the situation, Manuel Simão fears a lack of food in the region, due to the devastation of cultivated areas.
With 1,776 square kilometres, the commune of Massangano has 24,835 inhabitants (data from the general population and housing census – 2014), distributed in 30 villages.
The commune is the largest agricultural producer in the municipality of Cambambe, with emphasis on bananas, sweet potatoes, cereals, vegetables and palm trees.
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