A farmer was trampled to death while trying to chase off a herd of elephants from his farm.
Abner Petrus, 46, would have lost his life after one of the animals attacked him from behind. The incident happened when Petrus, along with his wife and daughter, made attempts to expel a group from their millet field on Saturday.
His body, believed to have been dragged out of the scene by a member of the pack, was discovered by residents the next day. His wife and daughter escaped unscathed.
The incident occurred in Okatha-Kiikombo, a village in the Omusati region of northern Namibia. It is home to African elephants, which are the largest land animals on the planet.
African elephants, also known as desert elephants or those that live in the desert, can reach 6.6 tons and measure more than 3 meters high on 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 expel the animals from the field and then they tried to chase them away into the bushes,” said Omusati regional commander, Commissioner Titus Shikongo.
“In the process, an elephant came up from behind and attacked the man.”
In addition to poaching, the man-wildlife conflict is a major problem in Namibia, with incidents increasing in the country.
Namibia’s environment minister, Pohamba Shifeta, said that elephants have caused more damage to plantations, water infrastructure and properties than any other animal in nine of the country’s 14 regions.
Animals considered dangerous to humans, their land or livestock are often relocated or killed, and 170 elephants are currently being auctioned.
“The elephant sale process is currently under discussion and contract negotiation, and the elephant population at specific points will be reduced to minimize the conflict as we sell the elephants,” Shifeta told the National Assembly last week.
However, he also added that the government is not required to compensate farmers whose plantations and properties have been damaged or whose livestock have been killed by wild animals.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) predicted that the African elephant could be extinguished in 2040, with poaching and human-wildlife conflict as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation being the main threats to the species’ survival.
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