24 Jan 2021

Serowe-based senior wildlife warden, Mr Thomo Kemmonye has appealed to farmers at Kedikilwe Dam and Mmolawana lands near Moiyabana to report cases of livestock killed by predators.   

 Mr Kemmonye was speaking at a kgotla meeting addressed by Member of Parliament for Serowe South, Mr Leepetswe Lesedi on January 21.

He said farmers should kill jackals and hyenas that killed their livestock and to report at kgotla or wildlife offices even though they were not compensated. Mr Kemmonye said they were pleading with farmers that when they spotted dangerous animals in their area, they should report so that the animals could be relocated.  He also advises farmers to keep dogs in their farms to scar jackals and hyenas.

Mr Kemmonye warned that elephants were dangerous and appealed to farmers to desist from scaring them with dogs. He said their mandate was to see communities benefiting from animals, and he encouraged them to view wild animals as opportunities for tourism.

Farmers had complained about hyenas and jackals, saying  they were giving them sleepless nights by killing their livestock and threatening their lives. Some farmers complained about the excessive damage caused by elephants in their fields.

They said elephants were destroying their fences and feeding on everything planted. They added that the damage caused by elephants was huge and appealed for prompt intervention from relevant authorities.

Farmers said they had resorted to not reporting the damage caused by predators since they barely got any assistance.

They further stated that the compensation was too low. ENDS