The environment ministry has confirmed 37 elephants have already been captured, including 22 earmarked for export to a destination to be announced at the end of the tender process.

The other 15 jumbos would remain in Namibia.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda, yesterday said the ongoing elephant auction in Namibia is at an advanced stage and the ministry is now capturing the 57 elephants that were successfully sold in the auction.

The 15 elephants that remain in Namibia were captured from Omatjete area, Erongo region, and were already supplied to N/a’ankusê as a successful bidder. 

The 22 elephants meant for one of the export destinations were captured from Kamanjab commercial farming area in the Kunene region and supplied to GH Odendaal as one of the successful bidders. 

“We expect to generate N$5.9 million from the auction of which N$4.4 million is already paid to the Game Product Trust Fund,” he said.

A total of 170 elephants were offered in a tender advertised on 3 December 2020 and closed on 29 January 2021. 

The elephants that were put on auction include 30 from Omatjete area, 50 from the Kamanjab commercial farming area, 60 from Grootfontein-Kavango cattle ranch area, and 30 Grootfontein-Tsumkwe areas.

“With this auction, we intend to reduce elephant numbers in specified areas to minimise human-elephant conflicts, which have become persistent leading to extensive damages to properties, life losses, and disruption of people’s livelihoods,” Muyunda indicated.

He denounced allegations that there are elephants designated for China.

Likewise, Muyunda clarified the funds generated through this auction will be transferred into the Game Product Trust Fund to be reinvested in the conservation and management of wildlife resources and rural development including in community conservancies. 

More so, the funds will be used for human-wildlife conflict management, management of national parks, species conservation, wildlife protection, law enforcement, community-based natural resources management, and rural development.

“The elephants are currently safely kept in a quarantine facility waiting to be exported. Family herds were captured for this purpose,” Muyunda said.

According to him, the remaining 20 are still to be captured pending the issuance of CITES permits from the country where the elephants will be exported, a signed agreement, and full payment. 

Namibia Wildlife Vets and African Wildlife Vets did all captures with permission from the ministry. 

–anakale@nepc.com.na