Animals savage Mozambicans
2007-08-26 21:02
Maputo - The Mozambican news agency AIM says at least 33 people were killed and another 24 injured by wild animals in conservation areas in the first six months of 2007.
Most of the deaths were reportedly in the Tchuma Tchato conservation area where 20 people are said to have been killed and 10 others injured, followed by the Marromeu game reserve in the central province of Sofala, the Quirimbas national park in the northern province of Cabo Delgado and the Maputo game reserve in the south of Mozambique.
In the same period 21 animals were killed - of which 16 at Tchuma Tchato conservation area - among others hippos, elephants and crocodiles.
The tourism ministry, in mitigating the man-animal conflict in the conservation areas, have boosted the monitoring of wild animals by recruiting new inspectors.
New surveillance posts were also established in the areas where most incidents are reported and this included the creation of mobile brigades to drive away wild animals.
These brigades have a mandate to kill the most problematic animals and educate the population on how to prevent the man-animal conflict.
- SAPA