Staff Reporter
THE incident in the Omusati Region, in which a female villager was trampled to death by a wounded elephant cow last week, has now led to the arrest of three male residents of Omugulugombashe village. They are accused of illegal hunting and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The Namibian police have apprehended Paulus Wilhelm (23), Ndeshipanda Fillemon Kaapangelwa (51), and Awala Ndinelago Inamugadhimbwa (34), who have already appeared in the Okahao Magistrate’s Court and were granted bail of N$800 each.
They are charged with illegal hunting of an elephant cow valued at N$295,000, illegal supply and possession of a hunting rifle and ammunition, and failure to secure the firearm in a safe.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening when an elephant cow strayed into a mahangu field and was shot at and injured. It remained in the area, and on Thursday morning, it trampled a female villager to death when curious villagers flocked to the site. The distressed wild animal was reportedly provoked, with villagers moving dangerously close and even touching it while taking pictures.
The injured elephant was subsequently put down by nature conservation officials, and the meat was distributed among community members.
Photo: File
