Elephants finally trek from Nkurenkuru

By: OLAVI HAIKERA

THE 13 elephants that raided and caused havoc in the town of Nkurenkuru earlier this month, have finally deserted the town after roaming for about a week. The elephants moved back to neighbouring Angola, where they came from. Officials from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) have dismissed reports that the elephants have caused major destruction at the town.

Several residents at the town voiced their unhappiness on the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)’s Rukavango radio call-in programme this week, complaining that the elephants have eaten up their crops, while some said the elephants destroyed a water pump.
Principal Ranger within the MET, Kenneth Tapiso told Nampa yesterday that his office has not received such complaints, and urged those whose crop fields were destroyed by the elephants to approach the MET for possible compensation.
He cautioned residents to refrain from spreading false information, as doing so is punishable by law.
The town of Nkurenkuru, some 140 kilometres west of Rundu in the Kavango Region, came to a standstill on July 12 when the elephants raided the town and caused some consternation amongst residents.
The elephants came into town from neighbouring Angola by crossing the Okavango River, because water levels have subsided somewhat.
Residents of the town, including school-going children and teachers, were surprised to see elephants within the town fs vicinity, and all abandoned classes and household chores to see two of the elephants that were grazing in the town’s cemetery.
The other 11 elephants were about 500 metres from the graveyard.
Some families who wanted to bury their loved ones at the cemetery had to delay the burials, because the elephants were busy grazing on acacia trees and shrubs there.
According to residents, it was the first time since independence that elephants  “visited” them.
The last time that elephants were spotted at Nkurenkuru was before Independence, over 20 years ago.
Meanwhile, last month, tracks of two lions were again spotted at Mpungu Vlei in the western parts of the Kavango Region, but MET officials said the lions were just in transit and did not pose any danger to the community.
Those lions were also suspected to have come from Angola.
– Nampa

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