Stray elephants cause havoc in Siavonga

Stray elephants cause havoc in Siavonga

Siavonga, Apr 26/13——Stray elephants are reportedly causing havoc in Chalokwa village in Siavonga district of Southern Province. 

The Chalokwa residents complained that the wild jumbos have since damaged several crop fields in the village.

According to Kingsley Simupande, a local farmer, the elephants on Wednesday morning destroyed one house before ravaging crop fields in the area.

Speaking to ZANIS in an interview this morning, Mr Simupande noted that Chalokwa was one of the few villages in BBakasa ward that received some decent rain and farmers had their well cultivated crops devoured by elephants.

He said the elephant s have also destroyed other crop fields in neighbouring Siabamba village.

Mr Simupande said that although Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) officers were aware about the elephants and were in the area, they have failed to control the situation.

Meanwhile, headman Chalokwa has observed that although the elephants have been living in the area for very long time, residents say this has been the most problematic time ever.

Headman Chalokwa, however, called on the government to monitor the situation and appealed to the communities in the area to be very careful since the elephants, once wounded, could pose a very serious danger to human life.