Wildlife officials in north Cameroon are struggling against a marauding herd of elephants that wandered into a regional capital this week after trampling through surrounding villages and killing at least two people. An estimated 6,830 elephants live in Cameroon, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, making it one of the largest populations of the endangered species left in Africa. Forestry and wildlife official Jean Nyemeg said elephants trampled a child to death this week in a village near Maroua, the capital of Cameroon’s Far North region. The four elephants then made two incursions into Maroua itself. The disoriented elephants killed a person, named Bintou, in the locality of Balda, the ministry said and asked locals not to approach the animals as they were still moving towards the national park. Wildlife groups in Cameroon have been seeking to resolve the conflict between elephants and humans, which has led to street protests in the past, and prevent poaching.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA