By Lake Zone Watch Writer
Bunda district residents living near the Serengeti National Park and the Ikorongo-Grumeti Game Reserve have asked the government to erect a fence to prevent elephants from frequently invading their settlements and farms, eventually destroying food crops.
The villagers presented their grievance to Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa who yesterday stopped at Mariwanda village to greet them and listen whether they had any complaints.
The Prime Minister is currently on a tour of Mara region to inspect various development projects in the region’s six districts of Bunda, Butiama, Musoma,Rorya, Serengeti and Tarime in that alphabetical order.
The villagers boldly told Majaliwa that destruction of crops by elephants was a long-standing problem which needs immediate solution in their area because it denies them socio-economic development.
A representative of the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) openly admitted in front of the Prime Minister that there is an increasing wave of conflicts between human beings and wildlife in Bunda district.
He said construction of a fence to stop elephants from invading villages and village farms is a policy issue which would be presented to the parent ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism for action.
However, Prime Minister Majaliwa promised that the government would increase its efforts in preventing destructive elephants from invading human settlements and farms.
Invasion of elephants in human settlements, threatening human life and destroying farm produce is a countrywide problem which seems to have found no solution despite efforts made by institutions under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.
Bunda district is one of Mara region’s areas prone to the consequences of marauding elephants which have created conflicts between villagers and institutions charged with wildlife management.