By Loide Jason
ONGWEDIVA – A Namibian professional hunter sustained multiple injuries when a young elephant bull attacked him in the Uukwaluudhi Conservancy.
The victim was assisting a German trophy hunter who is licensed to shoot and kill elephants in the conservancy. He is now recovering in hospital.
Dr Shali Iithete from Medi-Park Private Hospital where he was admitted said he was doing well and was transferred to the Roman Catholic Hospital in Windhoek.
“He sustained multiply injuries to his neck and lips,” said Iithete.
The near-fatal attack occurred on Saturday.
The public relations officer in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Romeo Muyunda, confirmed the incident but could not provide further details.
Muyunda said the trophy hunter was contracted by the ministry to hunt in Uukwaluudhi Conservancy. At the time he was attacked he was guiding his German client.
A well-placed source in the environment ministry said: “A German hunter who owns a hunting safari company came to Namibia to hunt and was given a permit by the ministry. He was being assisted by a professional hunter to help him identify the best elephant suitable for hunting,” said the source.
The source said the hunters came across a herd of between 20 -30 elephants about 100 meters away but did not check the wind direction.
“The big mistake they made is that they did not check the wind direction because the moment they chose the elephant they wanted to shoot, they were attacked by the beast because they were too close,” the source said.
The elephant was later shot and killed by environmental officials and its meat distributed to the community.
Meanwhile, Muyunda said that no one was arrested in connection with the poaching of four rhinos last week in the same conservancy.
The rhinos had been trans-located to the national park.