Sundaymail Editor
Richard Muponde
ELEPHANTS and buffalos are reportedly wreaking havoc in Victoria Falls where they are destroying tuckshops and vegetable gardens leaving residents in fear for their lives after the beasts previously killed residents in the resort city.
Human wildlife conflict is rampant in the country’s tourism hub which houses the Mosi -oa -Tunya, one of the Wonders of the World, which receives frequent visits from international tourists.
The resort city was built between two game parks, Chamabondo to the east and Victoria Falls to the West.
Previously, residents lost lives after being trampled or gored by the marauding jumbos and buffalos while tuckshop owners were left counting loses.
The jumbos and the buffalos have reportedly destroyed tuckshops and vegetable gardens in Mkhosana and Chinotimba suburbs, with residents advised not to move around at night as they risked being trampled or gored to death.
Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association (Vifacora) Mr Kelvin Moyo yesterday confirmed the presence of the stray jumbos and buffalos in the city.
“It’s true, communities are being affected by the number of elephants and also some buffalos that are in the vicinity. It’s traditionally how it happens especially towards the dry season because these animals will be coming through seeing the green that’s in the locality,” Mr Moyo said.
He said residents are indeed affected by what is happening currently as the animals roam the streets.
“It’s true that the residents are also living in fear, but however from the initial incident of a stray bull elephant, we reported that on August 15 to ZimParks and it was shot down since it was one of the most problematic stray elephants. We always have challenges with these animals given that we are in a national park,” he said.
Contacted for comment, ZimParks spokesperson, Mr Tinashe Farawo said they received the report, adding that the authorities are looking for the latest details from the ground.
In March this year, a stray leopard was roaming the low-density areas and left residents fearing for their lives for a week.
The leopard was spotted at night on CCTV by one of the residents looking for prey in his yard.
This was not the first time for a leopard to stray into the low-density residential areas of the city as another female one was spotted last year with her cubs.
She terrorised residents, killing dogs and domestic fowls along Courtney Selous Street and Wood Road.
Several people have lost their lives after being trampled by elephants or gored by buffaloes in the resort town.
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