WINDHOEK, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Namibia is working on including a clause within the Protection Areas and Wildlife Management Bill to ban animal captivity, Environment and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta said Monday.
His ministry has issued an urgent application to the attorney general to include the clause before the bill is passed into law, the minister said.
The announcement followed reports that a tour operator has kept two elephants in a very small area, where the animals can barely move. A court order has been issued to compel the tour operator to move the animals to a farm.
Shifeta said that private owners of wildlife need at least 1,000 hectares of land to allow animals to roam freely.
"It is an urgent case that needs urgent attention," he said. "Even if the animals are yours, there are procedures to follow."
