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| National |
| Kasungu elephants on the loose |
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by
Denis Mzembe, 24 June 2003
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07:10:09
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Elephants are continuing to devastate some areas of Kasungu after failure by wildlife officials and the army to drive back the animals back into the national park.
Kasungu district commissioner Christopher Makileni said on Monday that the over 50 elephants are in thick bush and moving in different groups and can only be driven back into the pak using a helicopter.
“But we were waiting for the army last Friday and the helicopter crew never turned up. And we haven’t been told why they failed to do so,” Makileni said.
In another interview, however, Malawi Army assistant public relations officer Captain Francis Kakhuta Banda said the army could not turn up because wildlife officials did not have adequate information to enable them drive the elephants back into the park.
“They were supposed to identify where the elephants are located, in what numbers and what would be the entry points as we try to herd them back into the park,” he said.
He said the army would be ready to drive the elephants back into the park as soon as they have the needed information.
“We’ll send the helicopter anytime the our wildlife colleagues are ready because there is no proper coordination as of now,” Kakhuta Banda said.
Makileni, on the other hand, said he is liaising with the department of disaster preparedness, relief and rehabilitation to get the helicopter back.
The elephants, which broke out of Kasungu National Park earlier last week have since claimed three lives. They have also destroyed several hectarages of crops including winter maize, unharvested maize, sugar cane and other crops, Makileni said.
Makileni said the elephants came out after villagers vandalised the electric fence around the national park.
In January and February this year lions from the park terrorised the area after breaking free from the park killing about 10 people.
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