A farmer was trampled to death when he tried to chase a herd of elephants off his crop.
Abner Petrus (46) allegedly lost his life after one of the animals attacked him from behind. The incident took place when Peter and his wife and his daughter made attempts to drive a group out of their abalone field on Saturday.
His body, which was allegedly dragged away from the scene by a member of the herd, was discovered by villagers the next day. His wife and daughter escaped unharmed.
The incident took place in Okatha-Kiikombo, a village in the Omusati region in northern Namibia. It is home to African forest elephants, which are the largest land animals on the planet.
African forest elephants, also known as desert or desert-dwelling elephants, can grow up to 6.6 tons and measure more than 10 feet long at the shoulder.
They are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
“It is alleged that the man and his family managed to chase the animals out of the field and after trying to chase them further into the woods,” Omusati regional commander Commissioner Titus Shikongo said.
“In the process, one elephant came forward from behind and attacked the man.”
In addition to poaching, conflict between humans and nature is a major problem in Namibia, with incidents increasing in the country.
Namibian Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta said elephants had damaged crops, water infrastructure and property more than any other animal in nine of the country’s 14 regions.
Animals considered dangerous to humans, their land or livestock are often displaced or killed, and 170 elephants are currently being auctioned off.
“The process of selling elephants is currently in the stage of discussion and negotiation of contracts, and the elephant population in specific hotspots will be reduced to reduce the conflict as we sell the elephants,” Shifeta told the national assembly last week. said.
However, he also added that the government is not obliged to compensate farmers whose croplands and property are damaged, or whose livestock is killed by wild animals.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) predicted that the African elephant would become extinct by 2040, with poaching and conflict between humans and nature due to habitat loss and fragmentation being the biggest threats to the species’ survival.
iStock