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Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
ABOUT 40 stray elephants invaded people’s homes in parts of Bulilima District this week where they reportedly targeted harvested crops.
Concerned villagers said they were forced to brave the chilly weather at night to guard their properties.
They said the jumbos, believed to be from neighbouring Botswana, were spotted at Dombolefu area and were targeting farm produce in the barns.

Bulilima Rural District Council chairperson and councillor of the affected area, Morgan Ndebele, said one elephant had been shot after villagers made a report to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

“We engaged the parks department and a team was deployed to Dombolefu area. They shot down one elephant in Village 25 in order to scare others but the invasions have not stopped because these elephants are in three groups of about 12 to 15 each,” said Clr Ndebele.

“On the night when that elephant was shot, another herd was spotted in Village 27 and another in Village 28 around the same time.”

Clr Ndebele said the elephants were attracted to people’s homesteads by harvested crops or in search of water and this happens every year.

“This time around we thought the situation would be better but they’re now going after the harvest stored in homesteads especially the melons,” he said.

“They’re invading homes at night and rarely during the day.”

Ndebele said villagers situated close to the border zone were the most affected as the stray animals would invade them anytime.

Bulilima West MP Cde Lungisani Nleya said a “permanent” method of driving elephants out of the district was needed as they continued to be a menace.

During the last farming season, villagers in several parts of the district had to spend nights in their fields trying to stop elephants from destroying their crops.

Some had to build fires around their fields at sunset right up to sunrise in order to scare the jumbos away.

Others were also forced to harvest their crops before they were ready for harvest to avoid losses.