adminWalter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
MASVINGO residents have called on Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to act on wild animals that reportedly stray into the town, inducing fear in members of the public.
The call follows reports that a herd of zebras and a hippopotamus were spotted in the town at the weekend.
The zebras are believed to have strayed from Mushagashe Game Reserve near Gokomere about 30km along Masvingo-Harare Road.
Concerned residents from Rhodene suburb said they saw the wild animals on Saturday.
“Wild animals have invaded the city and this is disturbing. We all know animals like zebras are not harmful but with reports of lions having been spotted in surrounding rural areas, it could be only a matter of time before such animals come to the city,” said Pastor Wellington Chimbuya of Mucheke.
Masvingo Urban Ratepayers and Residents Association co-ordinator Anotida Muguti echoed the same sentiments and urged residents to be on the lookout and report stray animals to authorities.
“We’re disturbed by the sight of wild animals in the city. It shows that residents are not safe and we expect the responsible authority to act accordingly,” said Muguti.
Residents said last month a hippopotamus was killed by game rangers after terrorising Rujeko B residents for months.
Mushagashe Game warden Nelson Mususa referred questions to Parks’ spokesperson Caroline Washaya-Moyo who could not be reached for comment on her mobile phone.
However, a senior officer at the provincial office who requested anonymity confirmed that zebras had strayed from a nearby game park.
“Zebras are harmless animals to start with but as the authority we’re definitely going to track them and ensure they are taken back to their habitat,” said the official.
The official added: “We had incidents of lions in Zaka and Chiredzi as well as parts of Chivi but we can say we’ve been able to contain the problem although some villagers lost livestock such as goats and cattle in some cases. “
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