Elephants ransack Tanzanian villages

A herd of 17 elephants stormed into three western Tanzania's villages, wreaking havoc in the area as the wild animals destroyed crops and houses, authorities said Monday.

The villages affected with the animal attacks are located close to Lwafi game reserve and Katavi National Park in western Tanzania's district of Kalambo.

Innocent Lungwa, the Kisumba ward councilor, told Xinhua in a telephone interview that the attacks have made people in the area living in fear.

"People are worried of elephants and worse enough they are going to harvest nothing in their farms because their crops have been destroyed," the local leader said.

Lungwa said the animals have stormed into the area since May 18, this year at night when most of people were sleep destroying people's farms and properties.

"The next day people were in fear upon seeing the elephants loitering around the three villages," he said, adding that no death was reported.

He added that the elephants are still on the village, saying: "these animals are very dangerous to people's lives because last year the elephants did the same and killed a man who was taking them photographs."

Willman Ndile, the District Commissioner for Kalambom, said that game rangers have been sent to search for the animals to return them to the sanctuaries before they bring more harm to the people.

He called for the people to get out of the wildlife corridors, saying: "Even if the animals may cease to use the route, history has shown that the animals may return even after 50 years."

He said there was no need of enormity with the animals and the best thing was for the people to stop conducting their farming activities in the wildlife corridors as the move endangers their lives.

"We haven't yet carried assessment on the cost caused by the elephant attacks," he added. Endit