By William J. Mbangula Oshakati The Councillor of Okatjali, Joseph Mupetami, has cautioned residents of his constituency to refrain from killing wild animals currently wandering around from the Etosha game park. This warning came as a sequel to an incident at Okatunduya village on Sunday, January 21, where a zebra was killed by villagers in what appeared to be the continuation of the traditional way of hunting wild animals. According to Mupetami, such animals were first sighted in the villages of Ongenga, Oshikondiilongo and Okapopo since last week. He could not explain why the zebras haf come so close to residential areas but he suspects that one of the reasons could be drought. Mupetami urged the villagers to treat the animals with care and not to kill them because this could result in conflict with the law. The regional head of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism at Ondangwa, Evaristus Nghilayi, confirmed the killing of a zebra which he said was still being investigated by his officials. Other zebras were also reported to have been seen in Olukonda and Uuvudhiya (at Oponono) constituencies. Nghilayi urged the villagers to leave the animals alone, as they are considered as some of the precious natural resources of the country. Olukonda, where the zebras were seen, is located about 30 kilometres from the Etosha.