Elephants Break Loose In Bawku West District

 A parade of elephants have invaded several communities in the Northern region of Ghana.  The animals are believed to have come from a forest reserve in Northern Region and neighboring Burkina Faso and Togo. Locals say this is an routine annual  visit by the animals to the area in the past few years.
Residents have confirmed seeing the elephants at night around the Tili and Widnaba communities near Zebilla, the district capital of the Bawku West District, searching for food and have since become a worry to the people as they go wild when they see human beings around them.
Confirming this to Ghnewsnow, Mr Kojo Atarikiya, a Senior Wild Life Officer-In-Charge of the Eastern Corridor Wild Life Forest Reserve said their numbers are increasing i if care is not taken they would begin to pose a danger to residents in the area.
He said they had already destroyed about 70 farm lands along the east and west banks of the Red Volta.
He said the animals could also be found in the Garu-Tempane District and appealed to the two affected district assemblies to assist the forestry guards in beefing up patrols to control their movement since they are a threat to life and property.
Mr John Akugre assemblyman for the Tili electoral area disclosed that apart from the 70 farmlands destroyed by the elephants about 190 hectares of land and other properties including plantations have been damaged.
Mr Akugre said the animals move into farmlands near the communities at night and return to the forest in the morning, making it difficult for farmers to track their movement.
Farm produce including rice, maize, groundnuts, and millet among others have been destroyed by the animals in the area.
Mr Akugre called on the District Assembly, non-governmental organizations and the National Disaster Management Organization to support the affected farmers with food since their crops have been destroyed.
Last year, a 35-year-old farmer was killed in the night at the Garu-Tempane District by a parade of irate elephants.

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