Tanzania: Villagers Decry Human-Elephant Conflicts Edward Qorro, Tanzania Daily News via AllAfrica December 30, 2020 At least six people have been killed and dozen others injured in elephant-human related incidents. The incidents are said to have occurred at Makuyuni village, Monduli District in a period of two years. Elephant attacks on human beings have now left residents of the area living in fear following the frequent invasion of wild elephants. Speaking here yesterday, Makuyuni village chairperson, Ngayoo Measi appealed for government's intervention in driving away the marauding jumbos and eventually mitigate the effects of human-elephant conflicts. Mr Measi, who was addressing mourners at the burial of Esther Sindiyo, who was trampled to death by elephants on the eve of December 21st this year, said the wild animals were destroying any hopes among peasant farmers of a moderately successful harvest in the area. "Most of the rampaging elephants normally stray off from Tarangire and Manyara national parks in pursuit of food and water and end up killing us," he lamented. The deceased, according to Measi, met her fate on her way back from collecting firewood. On his part, Makuyuni Ward Councillor urged villagers in the area to be vigilant in dealing with the rampaging jumbos. He further urged the villagers to shun walking in the night, lest they encounter the marauding elephants. Early last month, a man was trampled to death by an elephant after a herd of Jumbos invaded a village in Mwanga District, Kilimanjaro region. Rogers Wilson, a teacher at Kwangu Secondary School in Kwakoa ward, met his fate while returning from a shopping spree on the evening of October 31 this year. "The tragedy occurred when Wilson was going back home from a shopping trip, when he was attacked by a group of elephants, whereby one of them trampled him to death," narrated Rahmu Juma, a village leader at Kwakoa ward. The elephant parade is said to have strayed off Mkomazi National Park. The deceased body was later discovered the morning after the tragic incident. Director of Wildlife at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism in Tanzania, Dr Maurus Msuha confirmed the incident, assuring that the rampaging jumbos will be driven out of the area. The head teacher at Kwangu Secondary School, Mr Agustino Manetho said the incident had sparked panic among teachers and students at the school. Elephant attacks are common in Tanzania, where they often come into conflict with local farmers, with reports of herds of elephants raiding villages, destroying food crops and residential areas. In October last year, four people were killed while seven others injured by rampaging elephants in Toloha and Ngulu villages, Mwanga District. Less than a year later, Wildlife rangers attached to anti-poaching unit (KDU) were forced to kill an angry marauding elephant after it strayed off the Simanjiro Plains. The Jumbo who earlier trampled to death one person at Njiro Kwa Msola area, is said to have gotten out of control, posing a threat to residents of the posh area who had locked themselves in their houses for fear of the wild animal. https://allafrica.com/stories/202012300049.html