WATCH: Community members voice their concerns about elephants roaming freely in Matsulu
The locals insist that a permanent solution to the free-roaming elephants is what is needed in Matsulu C.
In the past few weeks, there had been reports of elephants roaming freely in Matsulu C, and the community members say they live in fear.
According to them, if the elephants are chased back into the neighbouring Kruger National Park (KNP) from where they are claimed to have originated, they just return again afterwards.
On Wednesday January 31, some community members said that on the night before, they had spotted the elephants again roaming the streets of Matsulu C. They forwarded photos and videos to the newspaper. These animals had apparently trampled through a fence, out of the KNP, and invaded the neighbourhood.
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Jacob Siboza, the chairperson of Matsulu and Ehlanzeni District CPF, said they stayed up throughout the night due to the roaming elephants. “The community called us again and said the elephants are back. The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency [MTPA] sent out a team to chase them away, however, due to the damaged fence, they came back. The community is scared of what might happen and they lack the knowledge on how to handle the situation. I feel they need an awareness programme that can help them understand elephants. We want our grandkids to be able to see elephants and know them in the future, so it is important that they are well taken care of,” he said.
@lowvelder Yet more wild animals have been spotted roaming the streets of Matsulu C, neighbouring the Kruger National Park. Community members say they live in fear as these elephants are seen roaming in their yards and on the streets. They had apparently trampled through a fence out of the Kruger National Park and invaded the neighbourhood. #Elephants #elephantsoftiktok #MTPA #Wildlife #Mbombela #Matsulu
Siboza said he would like to urge the community that lives next to the KNP to avoid planting fruits. “The fruit trees attract the animals, and once an elephant tastes a mango, it always goes back for more.”
A community member, John Sithole, told the newspaper that they now live in fear of the elephants attacking them and they need help because they keep coming back. “We contacted the MTPA and KNP because our homes are no longer safe for us and our kids. A permanent solution is what we need,” he said.
In a statement on Tuesday, the MTPA had said the reported four elephants had been spotted in Matsulu C (Sibuyile Section) have been pushed back into the KNP (Stolznek section). On Wednesday, the MTPA’s spokesperson, Simphiwe Shungube, said they had dispatched another team to assess the situation.
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“Every time the community calls us, we immediately respond by sending a team to assist. We have been doing that since the day they started calling us, raising their concerns. The team was there on Tuesday and they are there today.”
According to the KNP’s spokesperson, Ike Phaahla, they have provided the necessary assistance as was required by the Matsulu community. “We have notified the state veterinarian, as the fence is their responsibility. The colleagues from the MTPA responded immediately and assisted in chasing the animals back into the park.”
