Chronicle Editor
Flora Fadzai Sibanda
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VILLAGERS in St Peters Village, a peri-urban area located just beyond Old Pumula suburb in Bulawayo, are living in fear after sightings of a leopard and two cubs were reported on Monday morning.
Messages urging vigilance have been circulating on social media, with a voice note alerting villagers to stay safe and avoid bushy areas.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) has since deployed a team of rangers to track down the big cat.
A Chronicle news crew visited the area and spoke to several villagers living near Robert Sinyoka Primary School, close to the bush where the leopard was reportedly sighted.
Villagers said they suspect the leopard could have originated from a nearby bush inhabited by animals like jackals and baboons.
ZimParks has warned villagers to remain vigilant and protect their livestock, as two families have already reported losses.
St Peters is a peri-urban area with extensive grazing lands and forests that stretch for kilometres into the Nyamandlovu area.
More to follow…
Online Reporter