Two Seronga residents GOPOLANG MAROPAMABI and MICHAEL SEDUMEDI share the experiences of their regular clashes with elephants For many years including after independence, life in Seronga village was simple and relied on the Okavango wetlands to support human lives and economic activities. A typical household had two or three settlements one being the main home within the village, a second being a cattle post, and a third being at a farm where various crops were cultivated. The third settlement was normally used between the months of January and May allowing farm produce to be protected and harvested before the winter season. On a typical day, early in the morning boys would be at the cattle post milking cows and then drive the cattle out to the pastures between 0800 and 0900 hrs. Later in the afternoon, the boys would get into the wilderness or across the swamps to look for cattle to drive them back to the kraal to protect them from predation during the night. Between these two activities, boys would go to the river for fishing and recreational swimming. This lifestyle enabled most households to have milk, fish, and farm crops needed for daily nourishment. The wetlands of…