By Stanley Nkhondoyachepa, MANA
Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve field operations manager, David Robertson is in pain while his game ranger, Thomson Mizeck is battling for his life in hospital after they were stoned and hacked with panga knives by an angry mob, who are incensed with the death of a woman who was stomped by an elephant.
The attack on the two occurred Friday morning in Bamba Village in Traditional Authority (TA) Mwadzama, who had visited the village to establish what happened for the elephant to attack them.
A memorial pillar for a local killed by lions in
Nkhotakota Games Reserve
Malawi News Agency (MANA) established that the deceased, Sebita Banda (21) from Nambamba Village in T.A. Chakhaza in Dowa, and her newly-wedded husband, Gostino Yosefe (23), of Mwanza Village, T.A. Kayembe in same district, went to the field to cultivate where the elephant ambushed them.
The husband told MANA said he saw the elephant behind his back coming towards them and he immediately grabbed his wife’s arm and fled into a nearby bush so that the elephant should not see them.
Advertisement
“But my wife got scared and slipped out of my hand and started fleeing but unfortunately the elephant saw her and charged at her and crashed her to death,” the husband said.
Senior Group Bamba confirmed the development, it was very unfortunate that elephants were attacking people.
It is reported that Robertson and Mizeck, in the company of police officers and a health worker had gone to for a postmortem and appropriate action soon after the elephant had killed the lady.
Advertising: Fruitila Orange Squash from Rab
Processors
But the incensed villagers attacked them, burned the two vehicles belonging to African Parks to ashes, worth over K120 million.
The police escort they had was overwhelmed and had to call for reinforcement to calm the situation but all in vain.
Picturesque view in Nkhotakota Game Reserve
However, it took the intervention of Nkhotakota District Commissioner Medson Matchaya, Council officials, political and traditional leaders who went under heavy police escort, including the Police Officer in Charge, District Health Officer and Nkhotakota African Parks Manager among others to calm the situation down.
Matchaya expressed sadness at the death of the woman and assured the people the elephant which had caused the death would be hunted and subdued.
“It’s very unfortunate that this has happened,” he said. “We know life is very precious and we understand your reaction, but we plead with you to calm down.
Tongole Wilderness Lodge in Nkhotakota Wildlife
Reserve
“We will solve the issue of conflict between you people and the wildlife once and for all,” he assured them.
Earlier, Ward Councilor for the area, Gaziel Chinzere bemoaned the growing incidents of conflict between people and elephants in his area and asked African Parks to look into the problem as a matter of urgency.
“For long, we have been complaining of elephants destroying our crops, now they have started killing us. It appears the laws favour wild animals [more] than humans.
Britain’s Prince Harry made Africa Wildlife
president
“Once a human being enters the park and kills an animal, they are immediately taken to book, but when it’s the opposite, nothing happens.
“We demand that the elephant which caused this death be removed,” he had said.
It was arranged the body of the deceased be taken to her home district Dowa and was expected to be buried on Saturday after African Parks agreed to travel costs and other funeral arrangements.
At a stakeholders meeting which took place in Ntchisi in December last year, African Parks said it had completed over 80 percent of construction works of an electric wire fence around the Park to prevent elephants from going out.