Elephant attacks kill two people in Namibia

WINDHOEK, June 21– Two people lost their lives on Tuesday in separate deadly elephant attacks in Namibia’s northeastern region of Zambezi.
One incident involved a prominent professional hunter who was attacked by an elephant during a hunt, Romeo Muyunda, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, said in a statement.
“The ministry declared the elephant a problem-causing animal, and a trophy hunting permit was issued to that effect. This hunt was meant to relieve communities in the area whose livelihoods had been affected by damage caused by elephants to their properties,” he said.
The funds generated from the hunt were earmarked to aid affected communities and conservancies in recuperating from elephant-induced damage, according to the spokesperson.
In the second incident, a staff member employed at the Ngoma Forest Research Station was attacked by an elephant on his way to work. He was found alive by a passer-by and was later reported dead.
Namibia, like many African countries, faces the ongoing problem of growing elephant populations coming into increasing contact with human settlements, sometimes with tragic results.
Efforts to mitigate these conflicts remain a priority for conservation and community welfare authorities in the country.

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