Elephants are reported to be  terrorizing farmers and destroying crops in Chovwe area of  Kalumbila District in North-Western Province.   

The affected farmers are mostly those that have planted maize, beans, groundnuts, sweet potatoes, banana and cassava whose fields have been destroyed.

For the past three farming seasons farmers in the area have suffered setbacks as most of their produce have been eaten up and destroyed by the Elephants.

Kalumbila District Commissioner, Brenda Sankisa, stated that there is need to come up with a solution in order to help the community, which is in the Game Management Area (GMA) which was established in 2015

She explained that when Maheba was established as refugee resettlement a lot of poaching was recorded in Kalumbila hence government decided to set this area as GMA in order to protect the animals.

She further stated that it is the duty for government to protect both people and the animals, also advising the community that poaching is an offense, so is the selling of game meat without a license.

“Not everyone is allowed to sell unless someone owns a licence,”She said.

Meanwhile, Chovwe Camp Second In-Charge Oscar Kasongo, said farmers are encroaching the areas of where the animals are supposed to graze from.

“The all area which people are covering is in the GMA, which is the area which these animals are supposed to be found in”, he said