Zambia: My People Have No Value for Elephants - Chief Mukuni
The Post (Lusaka)

March 11, 2006
Nomusa Michelo
Lusaka

CHIEF Mukuni has said people in his area have no value for elephants as they consider them a threat.

In an interview, Chief Mukuni said over 500 elephants were now living among the communities in three zones in his chiefdom.

He said people of his chiefdom felt threatened by the animals and saw them as a problem and placed no value in them. "The communities regard the elephants as a problem and therefore nothing of value to them," he said.

"The people being affected by the elephants are not benefiting anything from staying with elephants."

Chief Mukuni said this had reduced regard by communities for the animals as the elephants destroyed crops.

He also bemoaned what he called the weak control measure by the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to control the animals, saying this compounded the problem as people felt threatened.