Three Elephants Killed in Caprivi

Absalom Shigwedha

18 November 2010

Three elephants were killed by poachers in Eastern Caprivi in the past few months while three impalas and one reebok were poached in the Mashi conservancy, a senior official in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism told The Namibian yesterday.

Colgar Sikopo, the deputy director of parks and wildlife management, said one suspect has been arrested in connection with the killing of the impalas and reebok.

He said no one has been arrested in connection with the killing of the three elephants.

Mashi conservancy is next to the Mudumu National Park in the Caprivi Region.

One elephant was killed at Lusese village last Saturday while the other two were killed in the Impalila-Kasika area, according to Sikopo.

"We are investigating these incident together with the Police and we have dispatched a team to the areas where these incidents occurred," he said.

"It appears there is some connection with the local people," he said, adding that the arrested suspect used a Government vehicle for poaching the impalas and reebok.

Elephants and impalas are both specially protected species in Namibia and their illegal killing carries a maximum prison sentence of six years or a fine of N$6 000.

Poaching of endangered species has been on the increase in Africa.

In August, the South African Wildlife Service reported that rhino poaching had escalated at an unprecedented rate and that more than 150 rhinos had been poached in South Africa this year - many of them in private game reserves.

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