ELEPHANTS DESTROY CROPS, TERRORISE RESIDENTS IN CHIPANGALI
ELEPHANTS are reportedly terrorising Chipangali residents barely two months after the animals destroyed maize fields and gardens in the district.
The residents who live near Malawi’s Kasungu National Park are now living in fear after the elephants invaded the area again.
ZANIS reports that the animals have so far destroyed winter crops for some residents including houses.
According to Msanama area Chairman,Ignitius Nyasulu, about four families have been left homeless and are in dire need of food supplies.
“A three year old child almost lost her life at the time of the attack,” Mr Nyasula disclosed.
Mr Nyasulu appealed to the Goverment to put up a wire fence around the Kasungu National Park to prevent the animals from leaving the park.
Anastasia Phiri, who is the mother of the three year old victim, narrated that elephants attacked her house around 18:00 hours on September 14, 2024.
“When I heard the news of elephants, I quickly gathered my children and went into the house to protect ourselves. Some minutes later, the elephants arrived and began to destroy the house. The walls fell on my 3-year-old child and was rushed to the hospital,” she narrated.
Ms Phiri said that the alert wildlife officers who later arrived at the scene managed to calm the situation.
“Game officers quickly arrived and scared away the elephants. At this point we managed to take the child who was hurt to Kasenga clinic for medical attention before she was transferred to Chipata Central Hospital were she was admitted. Although she is doing better, she is still in pain,” Ms Phiri said.
She appealed to the Goverment to quickly intervene by putting in place protective mechanisms before many lives are lost.
Another affected resident, Esau Lungu said his family lost two (2) x 60kg bags of maize and one bag of maize bran due to elephant attack.
Mr Lungu bemoaned that it will be difficult for farmers to have a meaningful crop yield if the situation was left unchecked.
He added that as a physically challenged person, he depended on selling bananas and vegetables which were all destroyed by elephants.