Nine elephants electrocuted
Chakalisa Dube | Wednesday September 20, 2017 13:03
The Ministry of Wildlife, Environment and Tourism deputy permanent secretary, Kenneth Monggae whose ministry houses the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) said investigations into the incident are ongoing. “We will issue a public statement once the team that we have sent to the scene of the incident has furnished us with a full report. At the moment, we have nothing to say apart from confirming the incident,” Monggae said.
Dukwi chief, Kelethusitse Mosweu shared sketchy details of what could have transpired on Monday. According to Mosweu, one of the nine elephants tripped an electricity pole, which resulted in the transmission cables falling on the other elephants. The incident happened behind the Dukwi cattle quarantine near the veterinary gate. The elephants were reportedly drinking water in the area.
“Officials from the DWNP came to my office late on Monday to notify me about the incident. They also asked my office to assist them secure manpower so that they can remove tusks from the elephants. They managed to secure the services of 10 villagers who assisted them remove the tusks. The officials said the exercise to remove the tusks will take place today,” Mosweu said yesterday morning.
The cables that fell on the elephants reportedly transmit electricity used to power borehole engines and to some households in the village. “There was little disruption of electricity in the village yesterday, but the situation has returned to normalcy. Water supply in some parts of the village was also affected but the situation is back to normal,” Mosweu said.
Mosweu added that law enforcement officers were assigned to guard the elephants overnight (on Monday) before the removal of the ivory (today).
The transmission cables also caused a small fire, which was effectively dealt with, according to Mosweu. He stated that he is not fully aware of the amount of damage that has been caused by the elephants.
Images of the nine dead elephants surrounded by what appeared to be wildlife officials went viral on social media after they were initially posted by one Othusitse John.
Elephants are a regular sight in Dukwi and surrounding areas such as Nata. Because of their aggressive nature, they have a penchant of knocking down trees in Dukwi and its environs.