Man, Talk About Misleading...

[OutdoorWriter]

Don't gloat until you read the article...

Animal rights activist trampled to death by elephant​

October 9, 2021 9:23 AM

By Judith Sibanda

A Victoria Falls anti-poaching official was on Friday morning trampled to death by an elephant as he was conducting patrols.

Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda said he was not aware of the incident, but according to one of the first responders to the tragic event, Lovemore Ndlovu, the victim, whose name has been withheld for ethical reasons was trampled to death around 8 AM by a stray elephant near Bonnaise Air bush owned by Victoria Falls City Council.

“He worked for the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching (VFAP) and when the tragic incident happened around 8 AM, he and his other three colleagues were conducting a patrol at some bushy area belonging to council,” Ndlovu said.

“When we attended the scene shortly after the incident, we were told by one of the rangers that before starting the patrol, they had grouped themselves into two parts and he was with the deceased when they spotted an elephant at a distance of approximately 300 meters and he said he still doesn’t know how it suddenly reached to them as it immediately started to attack his colleague by trampling on his head, arms and legs.”

Ndlovu said the deceased was pronounced dead at the scene by the Ace ambulance services responders.

“When they came, we were told that he had already died and that’s when they had to call in the police and Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) who immediately took his body to a mortuary.

VFAP declined to give details surrounding the tragedy after indicating that they were still trying to notify the next kin.

Ndlovu said police, rangers and other relevant stakeholders have since joined hands to search for the elephant, adding that helicopters have also been dispatched to conduct surveillance.

 

[OutdoorWriter]

And..the follow-up...

Vic Falls killer elephant gunned down​

October 9, 2021 6:54 PM
BY JUDITH SIBANDA

An elephant that killed the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit (VFAPU) operations director on Friday morning was tracked and later gunned down by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) rangers.

Clever Kapandura (51)was attacked and trampled to death by the stray elephant while he was conducting an anti-poaching patrol on Friday near Bonnaise Air bush owned by the Victoria Falls City Council.

“They killed it approximately five hours later at Aerodrome suburbs,” Lovemore Ndlovu from Bonnaise Air confirmed.

“The search was not easy as it was equally dangerous, but it was spotted by a helicopter that was dispatched to join the search and it was immediately gunned down at the same spot.”

The developments were also confirmed by VFAPU co- director Teddy Brightman.

However, Zimparks spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo said he was not aware of the development but commended what rangers had done.

“When such problem animals come to endanger our people, we are quick to react,” he said.

According to eyewitnesses, the elephant charged at Kapandura and his colleague who narrowly escaped the attack.

It could not be immediately ascertained whether the elephant was a bull or a cow.

 

[OutdoorWriter]

And then this...

Namibia: Villager Killed in Buffalo Shooting Accident​

7 OCTOBER 2021
New Era (Windhoek)

Rundu — A 38-year-old man tragically died Tuesday morning after he was shot allegedly by an environment ministry official who was attempting to put down a buffalo calf along the Kavango River.

The unfortunate event occurred at Shinyungwe village in the Ndiyona constituency of Kavango East region.

According to preliminary reports, a bullet caught and wounded villager Katiki Patrick Haushiku who at the time had sought cover between the reeds along the Kavango River.

The victim initially sustained serious injuries to the abdomen and waist before he was rushed to the Nyangana district hospital where he succumbed upon arrival.

"The shooting was on Tuesday morning around 11h30 at the Shinyungwe floodplains area," said Kavango East crime investigations coordinator Deputy Commissioner Bonifatius Kanyetu.

According to the police, community members reported seeing a buffalo calf in their cattle herd in the past few days.

The matter was since reported to the environment ministry for intervention.

"The ministry acted to the report to secure the situation by deploying the team which consisted of Namibian Defence Force (NDF) special forces. In the process of tracking the very buffalo calf, they managed to trace it and shot it with the G3 rifle," said Kanyetu.

"One of the bullets penetrated through and struck a member of the community in the eastern direction who was believed to have been hiding behind the thick reeds."

According to Kanyetu, the suspected official is yet to be arrested as police investigations continue. The environment ministry yesterday promised to issue a statement on the matter. However, at the time of going to print yesterday, New Era had not seen the statement.

 

[OutdoorWriter]

More absurdity from across the pond...........

Prime Minister’s father calls for him to ban big game hunt trophies from UK​

David Lynch, PA Parliamentary Reporter
October 4, 2021

The Prime Minister’s father has called on him to bring forward laws that prevent British big game hunters from bringing home trophies of their kills from Africa.

Stanley Johnson has said it was “amazing” a debate was going on about whether or not to ban trophy hunters importing the spoils from their big game stalking expeditions.

He told a fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference on Monday that he was “pro-the Government”, and made reference to his son Boris Johnson, saying “some of my children are involved with the Government”.

But Mr Johnson called on the Government to outlaw trophy hunting imports, as it had promised in its 2019 manifesto.


He said: “When I first went to Africa there were about 400,000 to 500,000 lions and now there are 20,000 or 30,000 lions.”

Mr Johnson added: “Don’t think I am not pro-the Government. Of course I am pro-the Government. I am connected with the Government. Some of my children are involved with the Government.

“But… would you believe, this Government is still trying to make up its mind whether the measure it has promised to ban trophy hunting – and it was in the manifesto – trying to make up its mind whether this should only apply to animals who are listed in the endangered species list or whether it should apply to people who kill animals for fun.

“I think it is amazing that that debate is still going on.”

Original plans for the new law banning hunting trophies were sparked by the shooting of Cecil the Lion in 2015 by American dentist Walter Palmer at a reserve in Zimbabwe.

At the Conservative fringe event to mark World Animal Day on October 4, Mr Johnson also disagreed with Brexit-voting Tory MPs about their stance on the EU referendum.

Morley and Outwood MP Andrea Jenkyns said: “The UK’s departure from the EU has given our great country the opportunity to further advance our domestic animal welfare standards and act as a dynamic leader on the world stage.

“So I say: We are already one of the world leading in this field, but why not be number one?”

In reply, Mr Johnson spoke about his career as an MEP in the 1970s and 1980s, working with other politicians to create Europe-wide animal welfare standards.

Mr Johnson, who campaigned for remain, said: “This is one of the occasions where I am not going necessarily agree with Andrea that being out of the EU is the best possible thing in the world.”

But Bury South MP Christian Wakeford later said: “Previously 80% of animal welfare legislation came from the EU law, and I apologise for disagreeing with Stanley.”

Mr Wakeford, who recently introduced a Bill into Parliament calling for the end of fur trade imports, added: “But now that we have left the European Union and everyone who said that Brexit was going to be a race to the bottom for animal welfare legislation, they were wrong.”