Teacher Injured After Elephant Attack Near Katima Mulilo
By TUW
A 58-year-old school teacher was injured after being attacked by an elephant early Tuesday morning in the Chefuzwe area outside Katima Mulilo while walking to catch transport to work.
According to reports from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), the teacher from Kasibi Primary School was on her way to a hiking point where she usually boards transport, accompanied by her Grade 1 grandchild. While walking along the path, the pair suddenly encountered a sub-adult male elephant that appeared without warning.
The teacher tried to move away from the animal, but the elephant charged towards them. In an effort to save the child, she quickly pushed her grandchild into nearby bushes to hide before attempting to hide herself. The elephant followed her into the bushes and trampled her as it moved through the area.
It is reported that the animal briefly stopped as if checking for movement before leaving the scene. The teacher lost consciousness and was later discovered by nearby residents, who rushed to assist. Both the teacher and the child were taken to safety, and the injured woman was transported to hospital for treatment.
She sustained injuries to her left hip but is said to be in stable condition. The child escaped the attack without injuries.
Following the incident, officials from MEFT were called to the area and later located the elephant. Attempts were made to drive the animal away from the settlement, but the elephant reportedly became aggressive and charged at both officials and members of the public.
Because the animal continued to pose a serious threat to residents who frequently use the route, authorities made the final decision to put the elephant down to prevent further harm.
The ministry confirmed that the tusks were recovered by officials, while the meat was handed over to the local traditional authority for distribution within the community.
MEFT has warned that cases of human-wildlife conflict are expected to increase due to recent rainfall and the expansion of settlements into wildlife corridors, which forces animals closer to populated areas. The ministry also confirmed that compensation for the injured teacher will be processed under the human-wildlife conflict compensation programme.
