BY ISAAC NTULI
A 61-year-old Victoria Falls woman is battling for her life after she was gored by a charging buffalo that she was trying to chase away from her goats kraal on Wednesday.
The victim, Elizabeth Ndlovu of Mpumelelo village in BH 10 under Chief Mvuthu was attempting to scare the buffalo away as it had been hiding in her kraal after straying from Forestry Commission sanctuary.
She was rushed to the Victoria Falls hospital and had to be whisked to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo due to her critical condition.
According to one eye witness identified as Mbonisi Ngwenya, Ndlovu was gored from her stomach, leaving her intentines protruding.
“This is really bad, imagine this is the type of danger we have to live with because they are not being controlled, ” Ngwenya said.
The buffalo was immediately put down by Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire) ranger Manuel Nkomo who had to fire seven times in order to put it down.
Mpumelelo village head Maxwell Butshe Ndlovu said villagers’ lives were under dangerous conditions due to stray animals.
“We are living in acute danger because of these animals and we would tonurge the government to take urgent action to these escalating human and wildlife conflicts,” Ndlovu urged.
Campfire committee member Nceku Ncube added :”This is now beyond our control,and sincerely hope the proposed compensation would be made law. “
The Councillor of Katchetchete ward three Givemeagain Moyo lamented government’s response to human wildlife conflicts.
Meanwhile ,a ranger from Bayana in Chidobe is reported to have been stabbed to death at the Breakfast resettlement scheme after an altercation with poachers whom he had earlier confronted about their illegal activities.
Currently, the suspected poachers are assisting the police with investigations.
In Mabale village in Dete, another villager was trampled by an elephant a few days ago while in Mvuthu’s jurisdiction, a teen herd boy survived a lion attack which left him with body injuries.