The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Wynter Mmolotsi, has firmly rejected calls for the lethal management of crocodiles in the Okavango water system. Despite rising pressure from local representatives to address human-wildlife conflict, the Minister maintained that the government would continue to prioritise non-lethal strategies to protect the region’s fragile ecosystem, and promoting co-existence.
The minister was responding to a question from the Member of Parliament for Okavango East, Gabatsholwe Disho. Citing a tragic rise in human fatalities and the frequent loss of livestock, Disho pressed the ministry to release management quotas that would allow for a controlled off-take of the reptiles.
Disho argued that the current population which he estimated could be as high as 6,000 is no longer sustainable and poses a direct threat to the daily lives of villagers in the Panhandle.
Responding to the concerns, minister Mmolotsi revealed that current scientific assessments indicate the crocodile population cannot sustain additional off-take at this stage. He noted that population recruitment remains dangerously low, a trend he attributed to historical over-exploitation and ongoing human disturbance.
“One of the major problems is the deliberate burning of papyrus beds during nesting season,” Mmolotsi stated, explaining that these fires destroy vital breeding areas and force crocodiles to abandon their nests.
According to data presented to Parliament, the crocodile population in the Okavango Panhandle is estimated at approximately 2,570 animals across all size groups. However, the minister admitted that the last comprehensive survey was conducted “some time ago,” a reality that the figures may not reflect the current reality on the ground.
