Namibia culls elephants to 'protect' farmers, crops

[NamStay]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...ts-protect-farmers-crops-200523143006988.html


Namibia culls elephants to 'protect' farmers, crops

Government says 10 elephants put down in the past month after they moved into farming areas during harvest season.

Namibia culled 10 elephants over the past month after they moved into farming areas and destroyed crops during harvest season, according to the country's wildlife authority.

The animals were shot after they endangered human lives in the north of the country and were marked as dangerous, Romeo Muyunda, spokesman for the ministry of environment, forestry and tourism, said on Saturday.

He said the decision was necessary to protect farmers and their crops. The carcasses have been given as compensation to community members whose harvests have been damaged.

"Normally during this season people are terrorised by elephants. We had no choice but to be proactive," Muyunda said, adding however that problematic elephants can only be put down if no other solution can be found.

Like several other African nations, Namibia has grappled with balancing protection for species like elephants with managing the danger they pose when they encroach on areas of human habitation.

The country has enjoyed international support for a conservation drive that has seen its elephant population grow from just over 7,500 in 1995 to 24,000 last year, according to government figures.

 

[Shootist43]

All the while our "friends on the other side of the aisle" are thinking that there must have been some other expedient way of eliminating the threat and condemns the government for taking the actions they did.

 

[CAustin]

Thank you for sharing!

 

[Rule 303]

Some more positive news about Elephant culls.

 

[leslie hetrick]

it would be nice if hunters could have taken the rogues, then not only the meat but a large amount of money could have gone to the people affected by them. i guess thats only a pipe dream.

 

[Rule 303]

it would be nice if hunters could have taken the rogues, then not only the meat but a large amount of money could have gone to the people affected by them. i guess thats only a pipe dream.

This might not be possible due to time constraints. I would think once the problem animal is identified it is shot so those doing the shooting would have to be on hand or close enough so to track the individual concerned.

I stand to be corrected on this.

 

[Hank2211]

it would be nice if hunters could have taken the rogues, then not only the meat but a large amount of money could have gone to the people affected by them. i guess thats only a pipe dream.

This makes perfect sense of course.

I believe that governments are generally reluctant to do this because it may make it appear - int eyes of those not favourably disposed - that the culling is at least partly done for economic reasons. Somehow making money from a cull "taints" it and raises it from a necessary but regrettable action to one which you might just do for the money. We have a similar concept in Canada - you are not permitted to sell hunted game or animal parts.