Elephants shot outside park
2006-07-18 11:48
Johannesburg - Two Kruger National Park elephants "had to be killed" after a group of 15 wandered out of the park through a section of broken fence, a KNP spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The group of 15 adolescent bulls got out recently through a section of fence believed to have been damaged by people stealing parts of it, and wandered onto land adjoining the park, Raymond Travers told Sapa.
Under the law, the owner of the land on which wild animals are found becomes responsible for the animals - in this case the Limpopo government, he explained.
"They (the Limpopo government) reacted and asked us for help," he continued. "Only then can we intercede."
At the time, officials were doing work related to buffalo in the park with a helicopter. The helicopter was diverted to the task of returning the elephants.
Travers said it was unusual for 15 bull adolescent elephants to be together, as they usually moved alone.
Park officials managed to drive all but two back into the park.
"The two just seemed to be stubborn," he said.
Because of their proximity to a nearby settlement the remaining two elephants were killed.
When the elephants got out of the park, women living in the area were reportedly afraid of being trampled to death when they went to fetch firewood and water.
"We believe that only once one of us has been trampled will the government start doing something," said Madali Maswanganyi, complaining that authorities were doing little to protect them from the elephants.
Travers warned that the fence, meant for disease control, was "in a bad way at the moment" and the elephants may get out again.
A committee of park officials and provincial government representatives was holding meetings to discuss the matter.
- SAPA