Zambian tourism minister Kabinga Pande has said he cannot give assurance about bringing amendments to parliament to allow the compensation for the victims of human-wildlife conflict, reported The Post Daily Monday.

Pande was responding to a question from a parliament member after delivering to the parliament a ministerial statement on human wildlife conflict.

He said while the loss of life is regretted, current legislation does not provide for compensation.

The minister blamed the co-existence of wildlife and people for what has resulted in the conflicts, saying that his country has recorded an increase in the fatalities as a result of these conflicts.

Between January and August in 2005, a total of 2,811 human wildlife conflicts reports were received, compared to 1,124 in the same period of 2004.

"The most problematic animals in as far as human fatalities were concerned are crocodiles, hippos and elephants," said Pande.

The minister said Zambia Wildlife Authority intends to deploy wildlife control hunters who will in turn train members of affected communities in wildlife control hunting.

Stories of elephants invading people and destroying their crops have been the order of day in most rural parts of Zambia for years.

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2006)