Villagers live in fear of lions

VILLAGERS in Chief Mola’s area in Nyaminyami Rural District Council are living in fear of stray lions that have been seen roaming around the area and have attacked their livestock.

The lions, believed to be coming from conservancies and the Matusadonha National Park, are visiting communal areas to prey on livestock.

Villagers in Ward 3 and in Charara Ward 1 have already lost goats, donkeys and cattle to the lions.

Nyaminyami Rural District Council chairperson Cllr Lovemore Negande confirmed the development, saying the situation has been going on for some time.

“The situation has seen several villagers losing livestock including donkeys, cattle and goats. We would like to urge authorities to take action because one day someone will be attacked,” he said.

The development rekindles debate on human-wildlife conflict in areas on the peripheries of conservancies and national parks across the country.

Cllr Negande said Parks and Wildlife Management Authority officials and council’s wildlife section were helping to scare the lions away, but the intervention was only temporary.

Zimparks public relations manager Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the development saying that rangers are already on the ground searching for the predators.

“We have received reports of lions in the Mola area of Nyaminyami in Kariba and our rangers have reacted swiftly in search of the animals, which we will either translocate them or in extreme cases put them down,” he said.

Kariba district administrator Mr Witness Kufa said reports on the extent of loss to villagers are still being compiled while the situation is being addressed.