Lion attacks mom, daughter

A WOMAN and her daughter are battling for their lives in Kariba district hospital in Zimbabwe after they were attacked by a lion on Wednesday night in Mola area.

According to the police, the victims, Annie Makoni and her nine-year -old daughter from Dhobe village, under chief Mola, were on their way to a police post in the area to report a case when they were attacked by a lone lion.

Animal-human conflicts has increased around Lake Kariba due to human encroachment in game reserve areas. Recently, Department of National Parks and Wildlife officers in Siavonga district gunned down a lion that was terrorizing villagers and their livestock in lower Zambezi area.

And Chief Mola’s wife a Ms Mazhambe said people in the area were living in fear following the attacks. She said a day earlier the same lion had mauled and killed Chief Mola’s cow and two donkeys belonging to a villager.

She said villagers suspected the lion was one of the collared wild beasts monitored by a named animal conservation organisation but the Daily Nation was unable to verify the information. Therefore, it is not clear how the animal escaped from the park and entered the community undetected.

Meanwhile, the Kariba community has called on all responsible authorities to intervene before the lion menace gets out of hand. Previously, stray animals had killed livestock and people.