Zimpapers Logo

Leonard Ncube,[email protected]

WILD animals, especially crocodiles, elephants and lions continue to cause havoc in Hwange district where they have killed cattle and destroyed property.

Chief Dingani Nelukoba of Mabale said two days ago a pride killed two cows behind his homesteads in broad daylight as a herd of cattle was being driven to drink water at a nearby dam.

Chief Wange said he lost two beasts to crocodiles at Deka River which is the only source of water for livestock in the wake of a dry season.

A village in Mabale also lost some cattle to the marauding big cats recently.

Many villagers have resorted to herding their cattle near homesteads in fear of losing them.

Two months ago villagers said about 50 cattle were killed in Mabale alone as lions have turned the community into a hunting ground.

Villagers recently expressed concern saying rangers take time to react to stress calls resulting in domestic animals being killed when they would have been saved by driving away the predators.

“As we speak they killed a cow and its calf behind the homestead as the cattle were going down to the dam. Rate they will finish our cattle. They kill cattle even during the day. We reported but they didn’t come,” said the Chief.

He said even elephants were literally visiting homesteads on a daily basis putting people’s lives in danger.

Mabale is naturally an animal corridor closer to Hwange National Park and human-wildlife cases are likely to go up once the Gwayi-Shangani Dam is completed.

Villagers recently appealed for an urgent address of human-wildlife conflict and a decision was made to come up with a Toll Free number that would be used for real time reporting which villagers had said was a challenge because of lack of mobile airtime and data.

The Toll Free number is not yet in place as Hwange Rural District Council (HRDC) is still engaging service providers.

HRDC Proportional Representation Councillor Cde Sikhathele Moyo, a villager in Mabale and also Zanu-PF Secretary for Transport and Welfare in the District Coordinating Committee said lions were literally camped in Lupote and Mabale.

She encouraged villagers to report.

Cde Moyo said there is an HRDC rangers’ base at Cross Mabale where villagers can report for quick reaction.