20 Sep 2017

Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) electricians based in Nata have found nine elephants dead on Monday at Dukwi quarantine camp.

In an interview, one of the electricians Mr Thabo Nlashiki said during the weekend they experienced instability in their system and it was then that on Monday they decided to patrol their lines along the quarantine only to find eight of the nine elephants already dead at a broken power line.

Mr Nlashiki said they realised that the herd destroyed an electric pole where there was water leakage on the pipe line.

He explained that they cut off the power to save the ninth elephant but it was too late as it died as well. 

However they managed to secure the area to protect the environment as there was already an outbreak of fire which they managed to control.

Mr Nlashiki also noted that the power lines were the ones powering Dukwi well fields which water Nata/Gweta constituency.

An official from anti-poaching unit said stagnant water caused by leakages on water pipes attracted these animals hence in some instances resulted in such disasters. 

He therefore appealed to relevant authorities to address the challenges. ENDS