Onawa: The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has euthanized a bull elephant that had reportedly escaped from Etosha National Park during a recent fire incident in the park. This action was taken after several days of monitoring and unsuccessful attempts to safely return the animal to its habitat.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the ministry's spokesperson, Ndeshipanda Hamunyela, confirmed in a statement that the elephant was put down on 11 October 2025 near Onawa village in the Omusati Region. The elephant was first sighted in the Otjivarunda area following wildfires that spread from Etosha into the north-central regions and moved northwards.

Efforts to guide the elephant back to Etosha began on 08 October, as reported sightings placed it near Onkani, heading northwest. MEFT officials closely monitored its movements, attempting to redirect it back to the park. However, the elephant proceeded toward populated areas, reaching the Onaanka and Onaanda villages by 10 October.

The situation escalated as the elephant crossed both the Oshakati-Okahao and Oshakati-Outapi roads, causing damage to infrastructure en route to Onawa village. The decision to euthanize the elephant was made to prevent potential harm to the public. Hamunyela emphasized that this was a difficult but necessary decision to ensure public safety.