A Huab River lion was killed by the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) this past June. The shooting took place after the lion killed approximately 29 livestock on a farm in Ugabriver.
“The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has learnt with concern about the inaccurate and false reports and the assumptions made on social media over a lion that was destroyed at De Rust farm in the Kunene Region of Namibia on the 16 June 2018,” said MET Minister Pohamba Shifetka in an open letter explaining the lion’s killing.
“The lion was shot in response to repeated incursions and following days of attempts to alleviate the situation using non-lethal methods. The lion is part of the pride that has raided stock at De Rest farm, killing 27 goats and sheep as well as two donkeys inside the kraal. For many international followers this might be nothing but for households in Namibia this is a substantial loss.”
Minister Shifetka notes that unfounded rumors are spread by animal rights groups and those lobbying against sustainable use of Namibia’s wildlife and the country’s effective wildlife management practices.
“As a result of our conservation successes that tripled our wildlife numbers, cases of human wildlife conflict increased with animals like lions, elephants and crocodiles been the main culprits as people and wildlife continued to compete for resources and space. In this regard our National Policy on Human Wildlife Conflict Management was developed in such a way that it addresses our needs to conserve our wildlife while recognizing and respecting the rights of the people and tourism development.
“It is a pity and shameful to see that some international people still think Africans cannot run their own affairs and therefore should be subjected to their ideologies that have no regard for our people. For as much as we value tourism as an economic sector based on the revenue it generates, as responsible government we will always put the needs our people first without compromise or fail,” continued Minister Shifetka.
Namibia’s wildlife has been steadily increasing, growing from half a million animals in the 1960s to approximately 3 million today. Namibia boasts the largest free-ranging population of black rhinos in the world, the world’s largest cheetah population and an elephant population that has almost tripled to 22,000 since 1995, according to the Minister.
Minister Shifetka concludes his letter by discussing the human-wildlife conflict as a problem that needs to be managed effectively, recognize the rights of local communities as well as the need to promote biodiverse conservation.
“It must be clear that addressing human wildlife conflict requires striking a balance between conservation priorities and the needs of people who live with wildlife. Most Namibians depend on the land for their subsistence. But the presence of many species of large mammals and predators, combined with settlement patterns of people, leads to conflict between people and wildlife. It therefore necessary that mechanisms are created for rural communities and farmers to manage and benefit from wildlife and other natural resources,” he said.
Source: https://www.safariclub.org/what-we-...Advocacy2&utm_content=NamibiaMinisterResponse
“The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has learnt with concern about the inaccurate and false reports and the assumptions made on social media over a lion that was destroyed at De Rust farm in the Kunene Region of Namibia on the 16 June 2018,” said MET Minister Pohamba Shifetka in an open letter explaining the lion’s killing.
“The lion was shot in response to repeated incursions and following days of attempts to alleviate the situation using non-lethal methods. The lion is part of the pride that has raided stock at De Rest farm, killing 27 goats and sheep as well as two donkeys inside the kraal. For many international followers this might be nothing but for households in Namibia this is a substantial loss.”
Minister Shifetka notes that unfounded rumors are spread by animal rights groups and those lobbying against sustainable use of Namibia’s wildlife and the country’s effective wildlife management practices.
“As a result of our conservation successes that tripled our wildlife numbers, cases of human wildlife conflict increased with animals like lions, elephants and crocodiles been the main culprits as people and wildlife continued to compete for resources and space. In this regard our National Policy on Human Wildlife Conflict Management was developed in such a way that it addresses our needs to conserve our wildlife while recognizing and respecting the rights of the people and tourism development.
“It is a pity and shameful to see that some international people still think Africans cannot run their own affairs and therefore should be subjected to their ideologies that have no regard for our people. For as much as we value tourism as an economic sector based on the revenue it generates, as responsible government we will always put the needs our people first without compromise or fail,” continued Minister Shifetka.
Namibia’s wildlife has been steadily increasing, growing from half a million animals in the 1960s to approximately 3 million today. Namibia boasts the largest free-ranging population of black rhinos in the world, the world’s largest cheetah population and an elephant population that has almost tripled to 22,000 since 1995, according to the Minister.
Minister Shifetka concludes his letter by discussing the human-wildlife conflict as a problem that needs to be managed effectively, recognize the rights of local communities as well as the need to promote biodiverse conservation.
“It must be clear that addressing human wildlife conflict requires striking a balance between conservation priorities and the needs of people who live with wildlife. Most Namibians depend on the land for their subsistence. But the presence of many species of large mammals and predators, combined with settlement patterns of people, leads to conflict between people and wildlife. It therefore necessary that mechanisms are created for rural communities and farmers to manage and benefit from wildlife and other natural resources,” he said.
Source: https://www.safariclub.org/what-we-...Advocacy2&utm_content=NamibiaMinisterResponse
