The ministry of environment has started an investigation after an elephant was found dead on a farm in the Kavango East region. According to ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, the elephant was found dead in a crop field with its tusks intact at farm Nanava within the Linena constituency over the weekend.
The elephant was reportedly found with a bullet wound above the right eye. The farm is approximately 90km southeast of Rundu. He said a follow up was done on Saturday by the ministry staff, the protected resources unit and the police special field force. “It was established that the elephant had a bullet hole above the right eye.
The elephant might have been shot somewhere and came to fall in the harvested crop field of Nanava farm. The scene was trampled by grazing livestock thus difficult to determine where the elephant came from,” Muyunda revealed. He said the elephant tusks were removed and booked for safekeeping at the Rundu police station.
Muyunda said the ministry is investigating the matter and no arrest has been made yet. The elephant meat was distributed to the local community. Muyunda appealed to anyone with information regarding the incident to report it to the ministry or nearest police. “The public should also be reminded that there are rewards for people that provide the authorities with information that may lead to the successful arrest or prosecution of wildlife crime offenders,” Muyunda advised.
– anakale@nepc.com.na