Africa-Press – Botswana. Department of Wildlife and National Parks has condemned the retaliatory killing of four lions, a jackal and 12 vultures in Lesoma.
In an interview, Principal Veterinary Officer in Chobe, Dr Karabo Danster said the department was treating this case as retaliatory incident of human-wildlife conflict. He stated that the first case was reported beginning of December where two lions, jackal and vultures were found dead.
Again, he said on December 24, a passerby reported sighting two dead lions along the A33 road. Dr Danster revealed that the two lions, male and female along the road were covered in wounds, which presumably appeared to have been caused by a sharp object.
“We discovered during the postmortem that a gun was used on both the lions, which wounded them hence they succumbed to injuries from a close range shots,” he said.
He alleged that preliminary investigations showed that a farmer whose livestock had been killed by lions took the matter into his own hands hence retaliated by poisoning carcasses, which were devoured by these animals.
Dr Danster stated that the residual samples were currently at the laboratory for testing to establish, which poison was used. Furthermore, he remarked that DWNP was working closely with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to educate the public on how they should take care of their properties.
“Most of the livestock in Chobe do not roam round at night but contained in predator proof kraals hence cases of lion attacks are rare unless livestock are left outside kraals and predators prey on them,” he said.
The officer said no arrests were made hence appealed to the community to assist them to catch the perpetrators.
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