Residents Advised to Take Precautions to Reduce Human-Wildlife Encounters.
Zambian authorities expressed concern on Wednesday over three separate elephant attacks that have claimed the lives of two men and a woman in recent days, leaving another elderly man critically injured. Most of the incidents occurred at night.
Dominic Chiinda, from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, stated in Lusaka, “All these incidents are tragic and could have been avoided if people adhered to wildlife conservation guidelines, such as refraining from nighttime movements and avoiding provoking elephants.”
He urged residents to exercise extra caution when passing near wildlife areas, granting elephants the right of way, and refraining from harassing the animals by surrounding them, making noise, or throwing objects at them.
“Reduce movement, especially at night and near elephants. Avoid following them closely for photos or selfies, and remain calm when encountering an elephant,” Chiinda advised.
Zambia, with its vast savanna, is home to a significant elephant population and frequently experiences cross-border migrations from neighboring Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia.
Many human-wildlife conflicts stem from human encroachment into national parks and Game Management Areas (GMAs).
The issue was also discussed in Parliament, where it was decided to increase the number of wildlife officers in Zambia’s 20 national parks and 36 GMAs and appoint honorary wildlife officers among elected officials.
