Food shortages and price hikes have been witnessed in Mundemba in the South West Region as elephants rampage farms.

Smiles are rare these days on the faces of farmers in Mundemba Subdivision in the Ndian Division of the South West Region. In recent months, elephants have gone on a rampaging spree eating and destroying food crops in areas like Manja Village, Ikassa Village, Matamani Area, and other localities.

Mayor of the Mundemba Council, Elizabeth Iselle Bekomba informed CT that the elephants either move alone or in herds. They have been spotted at the former KORUP National Park Head Office in Mundemba and at the Council Farm not far from Mundemba, headquarters of Ndian Division. "It's a very serious problem. The elephants eat and destroy food crops like plantains, bananas, cocoyams, vegetables...in short anything eatable on their path. What they cannot eat they uproot. The destruction has understandably ignited anger and the farming population is on its nerves," she said. "The cost of living is becoming difficult and unbearable because of the destruction of crops. Food was relatively cheap but now, we buy five small cocoyams for FCFA 1.000."

The Senior Divisional Officer for Ndian, Peter Tieh Ndeh confirmed by phone that apart from operating in distant farms, the elephants even came a few metres close to the Mundemba Prison. He however said the destruction has not been very vast. "The elephants are not marauding but are just trespassing and have not colonised the area," he said. The SDO noted that measures are underway to protect lives and advised the population not to confront or shoot the elephants because they are a protected specie.

As the population waits for adequate measures to keep the elephants at bay from farms, farmers are on their nerves. The destruction continues to have a devastating effect not only on the local economy but on their personal incomes. The elephants are reported to have been straying either from the KORUP National Park, the RUMPI Hills or other vast forest reserves in the area.