BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE – The Big Game Parks authorities and Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) are on high alert as an elephant is said to have roamed in the country yesterday
The elephant is believed to be in Lomahasha and surrounding areas. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer (PICO) Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said the elephant was likely to be in the fields enjoying maize crops.
“We would like to notify residents of Lomahasha and surrounding areas that an elephant has been spotted. People are advised not to attack this animal or set dogs on it as this may be very dangerous. The elephant is likely to be in the fields as it enjoys maize crops. Efforts are being made to get this animal back to its habitat,” said Vilakati.
This is not the first time elephants roam in the country as last year, the Big Game Parks authorities and Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) were on high alert when 11 elephants roamed into the country.
In November and December 2021, the country ran a series of articles of two elephants ‘Gatuno’ and ‘Swazi’ who roamed into the country after traveling all the way from Mozambique.
‘Gatuno’, one of the elephants that had wandered into the country, officially left the kingdom months later. The elephants were first seen at Mambane on November 27, 2021, they later moved to Big Bend Gamula, along the Lubhuku area where they were spotted roaming around; from there, they moved to Sikhuphe. From Sikhuphe they made their way to Lubhuku and made a small turn at Mpaka, which was when they moved to Hlane and roamed around Hlane until they wandered themselves into a secure area.
