Namibia to compensate families of victims killed by hippos and crocodiles

Namibian authorities have sad families of people killed by wild animals, including crocodile and hippos, will be compensated with with up to 100,000 Namibian dollars ($8,330).

The compensation plan indicates a change in the country's human-wildlife conflict policy.

However, not all victims' families will be entitled to the compensation as the government issued a disclaimer on those to receive compensation.

According to China's CGTN, Namibia's environment minister Pohamba Shifeta was quoted saying: "we will not pay N$100 000 for people killed by crocodiles and hippos while swimming or bathing in rivers, because that situation can be avoided".

Shifeta added that parents, traditional and community leaders should caution "children against swimming and bathing in rivers as this puts their lives in danger of being attacked and killed by crocodiles and hippos".

Statistics from the ministry of environment and tourism, reveals that nine people were killed by wild animals in 2016, and six in 2017.

The human-wildlife conflict policy which makes provision for the establishment and implementation of technical solutions to mitigate human-wildlife conflict was drawn up in February 2017 after a consultative workshop.


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