A cow had been shot dead in Neiafu, Vava’u on Tuesday by Neiafu town officer Vava Lapota.
Lapota has confirmed the deadly shooting to Kaniva News and said he has already warned cow owners to stop allowing their cattle to roam the capital town or face shooting.
He said the dead cow was one of a herd of about 20 wandering cows which has been causing unrest in Neiafu.
He described the situation as “unwise.”
He said he had been trying his best to keep the area clean and tidy but some residents did not want to support it.
The Neiafu incident came after we reported seven cows were shot dead while damaging a watermelon garden in ‘Utui last year.
At the time, three cows belonging to a livestock farmer of Pangaimotu were also shot dead after they wandered onto a tax allotment.
It appears that roaming of cows in Neiafu particularly in the evening and early in the morning was typical.
But Lapota said time has changed and cow owners have to consider supporting the call to keep the town clean and tidy.
It is understood residents in Neiafu and outer Vava’u islands had raised the issue with their Members of Parliament during the recent general election campaign.
At the time the Minister of Health Saia Piukala, the MP for Vava’u 14 told Kaniva news he had asked the owners of animals to make sure they could control their animals.
He believed the problems would not be resolved soon so he advised his constituents the best thing for them to do was to put their animals into enclosures.
