Staff reporter
AN elephant was gunned down by members of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, after it attacked and killed a 57-year-old resident of Siliumbu village in the Zambezi Region, in the evening of 24 July 2022.
The deceased and his friend were reportedly attacked whilst on their way home, and the victim died on the spot. His friends managed to escape to safety and alerted the police only on the following day.
According to the Ministry spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda, the elephant was put down yesterday by the MEFT officials.
“We understand that the deceased was coming from another village to the next with 2 other people when they were attacked by the elephant. The other two escaped the attack with one of them sustaining minor injuries” he said.
It is alleged that the body was recovered in the morning on the 25th May by the officials of the Ministry when they were responding to the report.
“This is a very unfortunate incident which is regrettable by the ministry. We do not wish to see Namibian lives lost as a result of wild animals. Staff members are in the area aiding where possible” he added.
The ministry has added that the revised policy on HWC management in Namibia has provisions for funeral cover/assistance to victims of HWC to the amount N$100 000. However, this is not to compensate for the loss of a life but to assist the family in making funeral arrangements.
