adminWhinsley Masara Chronicle Reporter
LIONS and hyenas are wreaking havoc in areas near Hwange National Park as they are straying into villages to kill livestock. Four donkeys, five cattle and three goats were killed this week by lions in Ward 3, Mlevu area in Sipepa, Tsholotsho and Maraposa village in Insuza.
Nagamo village head Johnson Ncube said people in Tsholotsho North’s ward 3 were living in fear of lions and hyenas.
He said people were threatened with poverty as livestock was their source of wealth.
“We’ve done the best we can to drive wildlife out of our villages to safeguard human life as well as that of our livestock. However, lions and hyenas have always been problematic in our wards especially in winter when people don’t drive cattle into the bushes,” Ncube said.
He said as a result of this year’s drought, the wild animals were straying into people’s homesteads in search of food.
“This time hyenas are also being seen and we’re wondering if we’ll remain with any livestock unless National Parks intervenes,” said Ncube.
Pias Nyoni, a villager in Maraposa, said they were counting their losses as a result of hyenas that were targeting their livestock.
“Our village is heavily infested with hyenas and we’re losing because of them. We see hyenas attack our livestock but there’s nothing we can do as we fear for our lives too. One of us has lost two cattle in a single day after a hyena sneaked into his kraal,” he said.
Villagers said they were appealing to the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority as well as to their rural district council to assist them in dealing with the wild animals before human lives are lost.
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derick.khumalo