AN ELEPHANT has attacked and killed a Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) Scout Lameck Chisangu of Mboola Village in Lupande Game Management Area (GMA).
ZAWA Communications and Public Relations Officer Readith Mwila Muliyunda confirmed the development in a press statement yesterday.
Ms Muliyunda said on the night of September 26 this year, Mr Chisangu, 34, of Kakumbi Community Resource Board woke up to noise of villagers trying to scare away elephants that had strayed in the village.
Upon hearing the noise, the deceased rushed out of his house to assist and unfortunately was attacked by one of the elephants.
He was then rushed to the hospital in the area where he died leaving behind his wife and four children.
“ZAWA has managed to control one of the elephants although it is not clear how many elephants were there at the time.
Lupande GMA buffers the South Luangwa National Park in Mfuwe. ZAWA would like to convey its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family,” she said.
ZAWA has also cautioned members of the public that two lions are reported to have strayed into Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park IN Livingstone.
Ms Muliyunda said the lions were suspected to have either come from across the borders with neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe or from Kafue National Park.
“Extra caution is required by people entering the Park and cycling after 18hours and before 06hours should be avoided.
Operators conducting walks in the Park should ensure that all their clients are escorted by a Wildlife Police Officer to avoid accidents. ZAWA officers are on the ground trying to locate the exact location of the lions,” Ms Muliyunda said.
Too bad for the scout, and what methods did they employ in trying to scare away elephants? Wild animals usually remain in their natural habitat and I think it makes more sense to determine why they stray into villages instead of trying to chase them away.
Really scary. Brings back the memory of how our relation, Conard lost his life in Ngoma camp of Mumbwa (MHSRIP).
Well, elephants are vicious. We can neither blame the people nor the elephants because sometimes the convergence is inevitable. The elephants could looking for food or just travelling when the find themselves near or in villages and people are trapped. It is sad, really, that in this century, our people are still as vulnerable to wild animals as our ancestors did in the 1600s.
These things happen sadly a dear life has been lost……ZAWA should try out more innovative environmentally friendly ways (than just making loud noise) to try to keep wild animals like Elephants away from human population like the use of bees around villages. If there is one thing elephants are afraid of is the sound of bees…this method is used in Kenya by villagers to protect there crops where the place beehives connected to a fence, the bees protects the crops, pollinates the plants and keeps the herbivores at bay in turn the farmer provides the plants for the bees to make honey.
@Jay Jay you have so many solutions, not only in football. but did know the order of scary things to Zambians
1. Rain = when people see a dark cloud they start walking at a scary pace, immediately 1 drop falls, they run, they don’t even mind cars.
2. Beers = I can’t even describe!
Elephants and lions are nothing to locals..
ZAWA officers are on the ground trying to locate the exact location of the lions,” Ms Muliyunda said. Is this zambian ENGLISH? How can one translate this in any local language please help??
First this article starts very nicely with the story of the elephants then degenerates into some disjointed discussion on lions without a preamble on these cats. Anyway, if you startle of pressure ANY creature it will defend itself; and attack is a natural form of defense in all situations. I am sorry about the scout’s demise but I do hope that we will try and look into how these conflicts can better be managed with minimal loss of life – yes, even animal life!