Chief Felix Maku of Pageri Payam is urgently appealing to the government and conservation authorities to intervene by deploying wildlife rangers, citing widespread destruction of farmlands by elephants from Nimule National Park since the start of 2025.
“More than 60 households have lost their crops in the first planting season alone,” Chief Maku told Sudans Post in an exclusive interview. “The elephants destroyed mostly maize fields, which are a staple for many families. The damage is too much. Since last year, we’ve been affected, and this year it’s even worse.”
Maku expressed frustration over the government’s inaction despite repeated pleas from local leaders and community members. “There has been nothing done. We are heading toward hunger. People have lost food for the season,” he warned.
The ongoing destruction adds pressure to an already fragile food system in Pageri, once regarded as the food basket of the region. Many households rely heavily on subsistence farming to meet their nutritional needs and sustain their livelihoods.
Besides the destruction of crops, the community is also grappling with increasing risks to human safety. In 2023, an elephant killed a resident in Loa Payam, while earlier this year, another individual was injured in a similar incident in Pageri.
“We’ve reported these issues and provided enough information, but we don’t know where help will come from. We can’t protect our farms on our own,” Maku lamented.
The chief is calling not only for immediate deployment of wildlife rangers to deter further elephant intrusions but also for emergency food assistance from the national government and humanitarian organisations, particularly as farmers begin preparing for the second planting season.
Local officials warn that without swift action, the continued human-wildlife conflict could trigger more fatalities, displace families, and push Pageri’s population into deeper food insecurity.
“Let wildlife rangers be deployed here in Pageri Payam,” Chief Maku emphasised.
Community leaders and residents alike are now urging coordinated responses from the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture, and humanitarian partners to safeguard both lives and livelihoods in the region.
