More and more snares in Etosha
"We cannot remove the people; they are part of the park. We just have to see how we can ensure that they follow the rules. These are communities that have lived there for years."This according to Romeo Muyunda, spokesperson of the Ministry of the Environment, Forestry and Tourism, about the approximately 400 community members currently living in the Etosha National Park.
The communities live there because it is their ancestral land.
This follows after tourists recently photographed a springbok and a lion with wire snares around their necks in the park.
Responding to queries, the ministry said it was concerned about the increasing number of snares being used to hunt wild animals in the park.
"We want to emphasize that removing the snares is one of our daily responsibilities as part of park management. The suspicion is that some community members living in the park are setting snares with the aim of hunting game for meat," according to a statement.
The use of wire snares is not approved by the ministry and is illegal.
Since June 2023, the ministry, the Namibian Police (Nampol) and the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) have been working to locate and remove wire snares around Okaukuejo. They removed 62 snares in three days.
"Fresh human tracks were also found and followed by the residents of Okaukuejo. A search was carried out and the people were warned. No one could be arrested as there was not enough evidence," Muyunda said.
The joint investigation team also convened four community meetings. The rules and regulations of the park were presented to the communities during the meetings and they were also informed about the punitive measures that are applied if the provisions of the law are violated.
"Operations to remove wire snares in all our national parks are currently underway. We want to appeal to our tourists or visitors to the parks who come across wire snares, traps or any other illegal activity to immediately report it to the ministry's officials so that they can act quickly," according to a statement.
A report of a springbok in a wire snare was received on 17 August. A veterinarian from the ministry shot the springbok with an anaesthetic dart. Unfortunately, the wire had cut too deeply into the springbok's tissue, and the animal had to be euthanized.
"We want to warn those involved to stop the illegal activities or they risk being caught and charged for illegal hunting of game. The Etosha National Park is our flagship park; such incidents tarnish the park's reputation. If it is determined that any of our officials are involved, they will be subject to established disciplinary procedures." – [email protected]