Africa-Press – Botswana. Following the recent death of a 77-year-old man, who was attacked and killed by an aggressive elephant, residents of Dikgathong are still living in fear due to an increasing number of elephants roaming their area.
Residents told the Member of Parliament (MP) for Maun East, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile during a kgotla meeting on Tuesday that since the incident, they were still reeling in shock and living in fear as the giant animal was yet to be traced and relocated or killed as was usually the case. They said the increase in the number of elephants in the area had put their lives at risk and that the animals were at the same time causing havoc at their ploughing fields.
They appealed for prompt intervention from government, arguing that their safety was in jeopardy as the marauding elephants were destroying their property and feeding on everything that had been planted, thus leaving them empty-handed. A resident, Ms Tlhaloso Dintshaletse, revealed that they were deeply saddened by the elephant attack incident and wished that government could implement measures to prevent further fatalities. The animals, she said, were a menace to rural farmers, the majority of whom depended on molapo farming to earn a living.
Ms Dintshaletse also expressed concern that they did not get compensated when elephants raided their crops because they did not have land rights to the areas at which they ploughed. She alleged that even those with certificates had stopped reporting because wildlife officers never showed up to assess damage occasioned on crops so that farmers could be duly compensated.
Mr Raditsela Raditsela concurred that they relied on agriculture for survival but that issues of human-wildlife conflict were a serious concern as they interfered with their agricultural activities such as livestock herding, which he said they could not do freely because of the elephants.
“Our area is infested with a high population of elephants and some have babies and these animals can be dangerous especially if they feel threatened,” he added, calling on government to consider culling them to reduce their numbers.
Mr Raditsela also decried rampant stock theft in the area calling on the police to increase their visibility in order to arrest the situation. He said the culprits targeted goats, cattle and donkeys and called on the communities to join hands with the police and take proactive steps to combat the crime. Mr Raditsela noted that residents’ failure to act would perpetuate their state of poverty.
Area MP, Mr Kekgonegile admitted that the elephants were a menace to rural communities. He however, reminded residents that the law allowed them to shoot the animals if they posed a danger to their lives. He said the elephants had indeed increased and added that he believed that culling could help reduce their numbers. Mr Kekgonegile also advised residents to revive their community trust so that they could benefit from hunting quotas allocated by government to such entities.
“NG35 which covers your area has a significant elephant population and the government has allocated a hunting quota in your concession,” he added.
Wildlife warden, Mr Kavihuno Kangura said the efforts made to trace the said elephant were in vain as it had already mixed up with others. Mr Kangura, who informed residents that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks had met with the deceased’s family and that preparations for compensation were ongoing, admitted that incidents of human-wildlife conflict were worrisome.
Agricultural scientific officer, Ms Magdelene Enametse said they could address the issue of crop damage by elephants through the Temo Letlotlo programme’s fencing component. She said the programme offered farmers the opportunity to group themselves and benefit from solar electric fencing that could cover up to 16 hectares of land.
The programme, she said, was a comprehensive agricultural platform aimed at supporting farmers by availing solutions to their pertinent challenges and encouraged residents to fully utilise it for their benefit. Ms Enametse also advised farmers to plough early maturing crops so that harvesting could be done earlier.
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