The Sunday News
Richard Muponde, Sunday News Correspondent
LIONS in Lupane and Gwayi have reportedly killed 13 cattle belonging to villagers in the Mabale area in a space of a week, as human-animal conflict cases increase in the area.
The two areas are on the borders of the Gwayi Conservancy and Hwange National Park.
Reports say marauding lions were roaming the boundaries of the conservancy and villages where they target livestock, especially cattle and donkeys.
Gwayi Conservancy is said to be flooded by prides of lions leading to big animals such as buffaloes and other species deserting the area for fear of being preyed on.
Villagers were also reported to have stopped taking their livestock to the grazing areas and herding them in the villages fearing that they could be preyed on.
A source said a meeting was held recently where villagers agreed to set up bomas for the safety of their cattle and donkeys. A boma is a communal livestock enclosure.
Chief Nelukoba whose area of jurisdiction borders Gwayi Conservancy and the Hwange National Park confirmed that 13 cattle belonging to villagers were killed by lions last week.
“It’s true, they were killed. The lions have become a problem and are killing our livestock in a way that is surprising us. We no longer take our livestock to the grazing areas. The most troublesome ones are the collared lions. These have caused a lot of damage to us. We advised the Lion Research and they came and blew vuzuzelas to scare them away but that has not helped the situation,” said Chief Nelukoba.
“What pains us most is that they cry out loud over the death of a single lion (Cecil) and receive a lot of money for it. What about us who are losing our livelihoods? Who is going to compensate us? It pains us a lot.”
The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, an Oxford University team, has collared a number of lions in Hwange as part of its research.
Mr Johnny Rodrigues, the chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said although he had not received reports of collared lions attacking livestock, conservation farm owners were to blame as they had not put up electric fences around their farms and were allowing trophy hunters to lure lions using domesticated animals.
“Because of the heat experienced during this season, the lions pick the scent of the domestic animals and then track them,” he said.
Chief Mabhikwa of Lupane said the lions have caused sleepless nights to his subjects.
“The lions are a menace. From time to time they invade villages killing livestock. The problem is serious because a lot of villagers have lost their cattle and donkeys to these marauding lions,” said Chief Mabhikwa.
Villagers in Matabeleland North have been terrorised by wild animals for a long time with the problem now extending to urban centres such as the mining town of Hwange and the resort town of Victoria Falls.
