Feature: Hunger looms in southern Tanzania as elephants destroy farms

Hunger is looming in southern Tanzania's Namtumbo District after a herd of elephants stormed into villages, destroying hectares of cereal crop farms.

The elephants stray from the Selous Game Reserve, one of the largest faunal reserves in the world. The game reserve is bigger than the size of Slovakia.

A herd of elephants does stray from Selous Game Reserve stormed into villages in southern Tanzania and this year Likuyo Mandela village is the highly affected this year whereby 37 hectares of farms were completely destroyed by jumbos.

In May this year, elephants trampled one man to death.

Reports said that for the past three years, villagers of Likuyu Mandela in Namtumbo District, Ruvuma Region are struggling to grow crops, but they ended up harvesting nothing as a result of elephants which storms into their localities.

"This year is the worst as the elephants killed one man Yasin Anthonio, when he was trying to chase them from his maize farm," said Chande Mpinga, a Likuyu-Mandela village chairman.

"We have reported the matter to authorities, but when rangers come here they just chase elephants into the game reserve... they say one elephant is worth than hundred people," the village leader told Xinhua.

He suggested the need for authorities to put in place with an electric fence to restrict African elephants from getting into people's homes and farms.

"We've been telling wildlife experts and rangers to come up with a solution to make people in the area free from elephant attacks," Mpinga said, adding that by putting in place an electric fence in elephant routes, will be a lasting solution to elephants' invasion.

"This year is going to be a very difficult one, in terms of food security; almost all farms are destroyed by strayed elephants," the local leader said, noting: "hunger is looming in the village."

"We have been asking the Tanzanian government to put barriers soon after crossing Likuyu River; that separate villagers and people's farms. We appeal to the minister to visit the area and see the challenge we're facing."

Chande Bakarui Naricho, Namtumbo District Commissioner said there are about 68 victims with their 37 ha destroyed by elephants.

"I'm aware about the challenge and we're trying to talk to wildlife authorities to address the challenge," said the commissioner.

Ernest Nombo, Wildlife officer in the district, said the government is going to compensate those who were badly affected by the elephant attacks. Endit