THREE Livingstone residents have sustained injuries from rubber bullets after a clash with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife officers over a dead elephant.
Livingstone residents of Linda township saw an opportunity when they discovered an elephant carcass in the area, prompting each person to grab panga, knives, axes and any tool they deemed fit to have a lion’s share.
The stampede which occurred was so crazy around the carcass that a concerned member of the public, who probably failed to manoeuvre his way to the meat called the police.
Quickly, The Department of National Parks and Wildlife arrived at the scene to try and control the situation but they were met with a resisting force from the men and women who were geared to die on top of the carcass.
After the tensions escalated, the department sought help from the Zambia police service where tear gas and rubber bullets were utilised to bring sanity.
But Linda residents were determined not to leave without their fair share of elephant meat
Ministry of Tourism principal public relations officer Nelly Banda confirmed the incident occurred yesterday around 07:00 hours.
She explained that despite the challenges, officers successfully secured and retrieved the elephant’s ivory.
“Efforts to restore order included the use of tear gas after initial attempts to disperse the crowd proved unsuccessful. During the operation, three individuals sustained injuries from rubber bullets and were attended to.”
She urged members of the public to refrain from interfering with wildlife scenes and to promptly report such incidents to authorities to ensure proper handling and investigation.
Banda added that the Ministry of Tourism remains committed in safeguarding both human life and wildlife, while promoting peaceful coexistence between communities and Zambia’s natural heritage.
By Haggai Hamunyemba
Kalemba March 20, 2026
