Namibia puts 40 crocodiles up for sale to minimize human-wildlife incidents

Namibia has put 40 crocodiles up for sale via a tender process to reduce human-wildlife conflict in the country, a government official said Wednesday.

The decision aims to reduce the number of crocodiles in the affected regions, spokesperson of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) Romeo Muyunda said in a statement.

“The northeastern regions of Kavango West, Kavango East and Zambezi continue to experience concerning crocodile attacks on people and their livestock,” he said.

According to Muyunda, the crocodiles will be sold through a tender where written financial offers by those interested should be submitted to the ministry in sealed envelopes indicating the price per individual animal.

“The offers should be deposited in the tender box at MEFT headquarters by July 17. The tender specifications will be advertised in our local press,” he added.

Meanwhile, the capture of crocodiles will be done under the full supervision of the ministry and the cost of capturing will be on the buyer, he added.
“Furthermore, all related activities, including disease testing as well as any necessary after-capture care are at the cost of buyers. Buyers must prove that they have suitable habitats for crocodiles,” he said.

According to the ministry, since 2019, offset amounts of over 2.3 million Namibia dollars (about 154,000 U.S. dollars) have been paid out due to losses caused by crocodiles, including compensations for human lives lost and livestock losses. Enditem