Buffalo gores ranger, battles for life

buffalo

Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
A ZIMPARKS ranger is battling for life after he was gored by a buffalo while on patrol at Chirisa Game Park in Gokwe.

Mr Mapuwa Alphonce was rushed to Gokwe General Hospital after sustaining serious injuries from the bull attack.

Sources say Mr Alphonce was attacked during an anti-poaching patrol with a colleague.

Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the incident and said Mr Alphonce was recovering.

“It is believed that Mr Alphonse’s colleague left him to fetch wood when the lone bull appeared from behind and attacked him. He was then rushed to Gokwe Hospital before being transferred to a private hospital in Harare,” said Mr Farawo.

He said the attack was unfortunate and worrying as more staff were falling victim to wildlife attacks while on duty.

“It is unfortunate that this is happening barely a week after a police officer was gored by a buffalo in Hwange. We are sad as an authority. In fact, the Director General has sent a Christmas present to Alphonce on his hospital bed as a sign of support that we are with him,” said Mr Farawo.

He said Zimparks is facing a number of challenges but is looking for funding to erect perimeter fences to minimise human –animal conflict.

“There are so many challenges particularly those to do with human-animal conflict. Some of the perimeter fence is old so we need to get a new perimeter fence so that we demarcate the boundary where people live and where animals live,” Mr Farawo said.

Last week, a police officer on an anti-poaching patrol was also gored by a lone buffalo which charged at him at Hwange National Park.

Constable Nyandoro, who was with two ZimParks rangers, was rushed to St Luke’s Hospital after sustaining injuries from the attack.

The two rangers scared off the animal before it could cause more harm to Cst Nyandoro. — @AuxiliaK.

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