Bengo – Ministry Drafts Human/Animal Conflict Mitigation Plan (Angola)

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Angola Press

Date Published
The Ministry of Agriculture is drafting a plan to mitigate the conflict between humans and animals, mainly elephants.

This was announced Tuesday in Caxito, northern Bengo province, by the national director of Forests, Domingos Nazaré.

Speaking to Angop, the official said this problem that is a countrywide one, is worrying the Ministry of Agriculture, and provincial governments and the populations.

He stated that alike in Bengo, the conflict is taking place in the provinces of Cabinda, Uíge, Cuanza Norte, Malanje, Moxico, Cuando Cubango and Cunene, where the elephants are killing people and destroying plantations.

The official added that peasants are losing their fields and houses, which requires the urgent implementation of the mitigation plan.

According to Domingos Nazare, a process of stock-taking and mapping of occurrences is in progress.

He stated the plan is also meant to study the behaviour of the animals, their origin and routes, so appropriate management measures are taken.

The measures might include the relocation of the animals in remote areas or parks, he stated.

Domingos Nazare explained that during the long years of war, the animals migrated and now returning to their former habitats, many of which currently occupied by humans.

In Bengo province, the populations use rubber smoke, peeper, noisy sounds to scare the animals away, with very poor result.