Stray lions spotted in Chimanimani
Farawo warned villagers to stay vigilant, saying they are working with the local community and traditional leadership to get on top of the situation and avert any potential danger
Moffat Mungazi and Simbarashe Zhovha
VILLAGERS in the Gwindingwi area of Chimanimani are living in fear after stray lions were spotted in the vicinity late last week.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed receiving a report of the felines, which are considered dangerous predators, roaming the area.
However, it could not immediately be established where the lions came from or how many they were.
Mr Farawo said no casualties or damage to property have been reported so far.
He said a ZimParks reaction team was deployed to Gwindingwi over the weekend to trek the animals and take the necessary corrective measures to prevent them from endangering the lives of people and livestock.
“ZimParks is informing the public that it received a report of stray lions spotted in the Gwindingwi area of Chimanimani last week Thursday. Our reaction team is now on the ground after being deployed to carry out investigations and trek the animals with a view of taking measures to prevent people’s lives and livestock being endangered,” said Mr Farawo.
Mr Farawo said this is the first time they have received a report of stray lions being spotted in the area.
He warned villagers to stay vigilant, saying they are working with the local community and traditional leadership to get on top of the situation and avert any potential danger.
Added Mr Farawo: “The surrounding communities are encouraged to be on high alert and minimise movements in thickets and tall grasses as well as during the night because lions are nocturnal animals. The most vulnerable groups include pupils, the elderly and people with disabilities.
“As usual, we are working with the Chimanimani District Development Co-ordinator’s office and the traditional leadership to mobilise resources and mitigate this plight. If anyone spots these stray lions, they must immediately report to our team on the ground.”
He added that Zimparks is stepping up efforts to collaborate with communities in reducing and ending human-wildlife conflict through awareness campaigns.
Government in 2022 established a relief fund to cushion victims of human-wildlife conflict by catering for their hospital expenses and funeral cover.