Lions wreak havoc in Binga

STRAY lions have wreaked havoc in the Lusulu area of Binga, Matabeleland North province, where several villagers have lost cattle, dogs and other animals to the wild cats.

The villagers said they feared for their lives since their homesteads were close to Chizarira National Park

Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Tinashe Farawo confirmed receiving the report.

“We can confirm that we have received a report from Binga where lions are attacking livestock. We are making an assessment of how many cattle, dogs, and other livestock have been killed by the lions. As of now, a professional hunter is already on the ground to make sure that we deal with the problem,” he said.

“We encourage our communities to make sure that when they see such animals, they immediately make reports. These are the issues that we are always dealing with, where people are losing their crops, lives, and livestock.”

One of the affected villagers, Knowledge Muleya, said: “Lions in Kabuba area in Lusulu, Binga, have killed four cattle and several dogs. Villagers in the area graze their cattle in the Chizarira National Park.

“Kabuba villagers have found that protecting cattle in reserve pastures is challenging because the predators have increased due to the number of lion hunts that have significantly dropped, making the local lion population bounce back.”

Muleya said they were concerned that the lions might kill people.

“It is no longer safe to stay in such environments. We appeal to the authorities to address the issue urgently because lions are very dangerous,” he said.