The mother of a 25-year-old man who survived a lion attack says she has been chased by elephants three times and fears children in her community could become the next victims as human-wildlife conflict continues to escalate in Matetsi.
Elizabeth Mumbuna, whose son Clement Sibanda is recovering after being attacked by two lions near Lubangwe on Sunday, said daily life has become increasingly dangerous for families living alongside wildlife.
Speaking to VicFallsLive, Mumbuna said women are now afraid to venture into the bush to collect thatching grass because of encounters with elephants.
“It’s not only lions that attack us, but elephants as well. We are now scared to go to the bush as women to cut grass for thatching because I have been chased by an elephant three times,” she said.
She said the dangers extend beyond adults, with children forced to use the same paths as wildlife on their way to school.
“We ask ZimParks to do something to decrease the interaction between humans and wildlife. We have little children who use the same paths as wildlife to go to school. We are scared that one day we shall find only the heads of children. We know we live in a wildlife area, but we believe there is something ZimParks can do.”
Mumbuna said wildlife is also destroying the livelihoods of families who depend on livestock.
“It’s not only human beings who are attacked by animals, but livestock are also being killed. Our cattle and donkeys, we are losing so many livestock to wildlife,” she added.
Her appeal comes days after her son, Clement Sibanda, was attacked by two lions near Lubangwe and admitted to Victoria Falls Hospital with deep claw wounds to his back. The incident, first reported by VicFallsLive, prompted investigations by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), CAMPFIRE and local leaders to establish exactly what happened.
At the time, Matetsi Ward Councillor Vulindlela Mhlanga confirmed the attack and said authorities were investigating the circumstances.
“We know about the lions that stay in that area. Every year a female lion comes with her cubs, raises them there and then goes back to the parks. We are still trying to gather the correct information on the time and exact location of the incident,” Mhlanga said.
He also pledged that the Matetsi community would help meet Sibanda’s medical expenses while working with ZimParks and CAMPFIRE to respond to the incident.
The councillor said the attack reflected the realities faced by communities living in wildlife areas, where people not only risk injury or death but also lose crops and domestic animals.
He noted that the latest attack was not an isolated incident, recalling that two years ago another resident lost a finger in a lion attack before the lioness involved was later destroyed.
To reduce such incidents, Mhlanga said the ward conducts quarterly awareness campaigns on coexisting with wildlife and encourages people to establish businesses closer to residential areas.
The latest attack has renewed concerns about the growing human-wildlife conflict affecting communities in Matetsi, where residents say encounters with elephants and lions have become part of everyday life.
For Mumbuna, however, the greatest concern is not only the attack on her son, but the fear that children could one day pay the ultimate price simply by walking to school.
“We have little children who use the same paths as wildlife to go to school. We are scared that one day we shall find only the heads of children.”
Her plea adds another community voice to growing calls for stronger measures to reduce dangerous encounters between people and wildlife in one of Zimbabwe’s key conservation landscapes.