Sundaymail Editor
Sunday Mail Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) has deployed a squad of wildlife rangers to track and capture a pride of lions behind deadly attacks on livestock in Dande, Mashonaland Central Province.
Four lions, believed to have strayed from a nearby game park, killed 27 goats in Ward 11 Chamapango village last week.
Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo said the carnivores were prowling around the village at night.
“Zimparks rangers are on the ground in Dande to track four problem lions which have killed at least 27 goats in Chamapango village,” said Mr Farawo.
He said the rangers have been directed to either capture the lions before they are translocated to a game reserve or eliminate them.
“To capture and translocate could be expensive, but we will kill the lions in order to protect the villagers.
He said villages should avoid moving outdoors at night.
“Villagers should secure their livestock pens and if they suspect that a dangerous animal is roaming around, they should alert us as quickly as possible”
Last week, panic spread around Beitbridge’s Ward 5 after villagers mistook two cheetahs for lions. Villagers in Goda area located some 26km from Beitbridge town along the Beitbridge-Masvingo highway stopped all farming activities and locked children indoors after the cheetahs were spotted.
Zimparks rangers later captured one of the cheetahs, while the other one escaped.
Online Reporter