Wildlife

Troubled times for Namibian wildlife

There are worrying signs that Namibia’s legendary wild game numbers may be plummeting. Four years ago the Namibian Professional Hunters Association raised an alarm about the lack of huntable elephant bulls in the Caprivi region, where the number of communal conservancies had grown from one in 1997 to 15 today.

Professional hunters visiting the area are reporting that there is little wildlife left. The communities who notionally are supposed to manage the communal conservancies appear to be stripping the area of all wildlife for profit.

The loss of game has caused the lions to increasingly attack local farmers’ cattle and donkeys, which has led to widespread lion poisoning by the local population.

The authorities simply deny the reality blaming the lack of wildlife on the drought or on the racist attitude of hunters and the NGO’s reporting the situation. There would appears to be no concern on the part of the Namibian authorities for the preservation of the country’s natural resources.