Elephant Invasions Worsen in Livingstone: Widow’s Garden Destroyed in Mwandi Township

A devastating rise in elephant invasions in Livingstone has left a 60-year-old widow in Mwandi Township struggling to survive after her entire garden was destroyed by the animals.

Esnart Kabuntumwika, who depends on small-scale gardening to provide for her seven orphaned grandchildren, says the elephants ate her entire winter maize and cassava crop—produce she had hoped to sell to earn an income.

The elderly widow, who also faces mobility challenges, described the recurring elephant invasions over recent days as a major blow to her only source of livelihood.

“I have no other way of feeding my grandchildren. Everything I planted is gone,” Ms. Kabuntumwika told ZNBC News.

She has since reported the incident to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) and is appealing for help in fencing off her garden to prevent further destruction.

However, Senior Wildlife Warden Wilfred Moonga stated that the DNPW is currently unable to provide fencing for individual households due to limited resources. The department prioritizes cluster gardens that benefit multiple families.

Mr. Moonga noted that the department is implementing a programme aimed at training local farmers in home-based elephant deterrent methods, such as using chili fences, noise makers, and light systems to safeguard their crops.

The destruction of Ms. Kabuntumwika’s garden highlights the escalating human-wildlife conflict in Southern Province. Over 150 elephants have migrated earlier than usual from Zimbabwe into Zambia’s Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, driven by the intensifying dry season and search for food and water.

As elephant migration increases, communities like Mwandi Township are facing greater threats to food security and economic status.