The Wildlife Unit of the Forestry
Commission has cautioned communities within the Eastern Corridor to be on the
lookout for an imminent elephant invasion, saying the huge animals will soon
move out for food and water because of the dry season.
The animals are sometimes seen
during the dry season in the Nabdam, Talensi and Bawku West districts of the
Upper East Region, which are part of the Eastern Wildlife Corridor, where they
destroy farmlands.
“Dry season is approaching and we
are going to get the elephants more permanent here because as you move further
up the Red Volta Valley, the weather becomes drier,” Alfred Kofi Bara, the
Wildlife Officer in charge of the Eastern Corridor Wildlife of the Forestry
Commission, said.
He said the elephants used to
migrate from the Western Wildlife Corridor which covers Builsa and the
Kassena-Nankana areas, “but for some time now, they seem to be more resident in
the Eastern Wildlife Corridor.”
The Eastern Wildlife Corridor covers
about eight political districts stretching from the Bongo District through
Nabdam, Talensi, Bawku West, Binduri, Garu, Tempane and the East Mamprusi districts.
“As you move down the Red Volta
towards the White Volta, we have more permanent pools of water during the dry
season that attracts them here. We also have much more luxuriant vegetation, so
apparently they turn to stay here more,” he said.
Mr. Bara added “the elephant is a
very intelligent animal and has good sense of smell, sense of hearing, but poor
eye sight so any colour that improves its vision is a threat to you the person
with the colour.”
He appealed to the public not to
get close to the elephants, saying “we should avoid watching them when dressed
in bright colours like yellow, red and white or any colour that is bright
enough to improve their vision.”
“We are appealing to all
stakeholders to support Wildlife control, especially any invasion of elephants
because we alone cannot do that.”
Mr. Bara said his outfit was trying
its best to sensitize communities to how to take precautionary measures when
the animals are on sight.
GNA
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