In the community

Zimparks warns of deadly attacks by wild animals

Published

4 years ago

August 20, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) says villagers living close to wildlife sanctuaries must brace for more deadly attacks by wild animals because the reserves are now overpopulated.

Tinashe Farawo, Zimparks spokesperson, told VicFallsLive that wild animals such as elephants and buffaloes were increasingly venturing into human settlements to look for food and water where they attacked people.

Farawo’s comments followed pleas by Victoria Falls residents for authorities to take action against the now frequent incidents of elephants straying into their yards where they destroy vegetable gardens.

“Our parks are overpopulated and that’s why we see more elephants now encroaching into people’s territories and killing them,” he said.

“From this time going forward people should get prepared for more deadly incidences until the next rain season towards year end.”

Last week, an elephant trampled to death two villagers and injured two others in Gokwe district.

A village head from Mbire in Mashonaland Central was also trampled to death by an elephant while stocking sorghum at his homestead.

Villagers living around Hwange and Zambezi national Parks say stray lions have of late been killing their livestock.

Other animals such as elephants and buffaloes are destroying their vegetable gardens.

They also complained that buffaloes mix with their cattle, which exposes them to disease outbreaks.

Affected villages are around Dete, Tsholotsho and Victoria Falls in Matabeleland North.

Residents in Victoria Falls’ Chinotimba high density suburbs killed a buffalo that was destroying their vegetables.

The residents said they decided to kill and skin the animal because Zimparks was taking too long to react to distress calls about problem animals.

On Tuesday night, a herd of five elephants was spotted in the city centre near the Shoestring backpacker’s lodge and night club.

Another elephant that was terrorisng Chinotimba and Mkhosana residents was gunned down by Zimparks rangers after destroying multiple vegetable gardens.

Farawo said the country’s estimated 100 000 elephants, mainly found at the Hwange National Park, must be culled urgently to reduce the population.

The Environment ministry has proposed the culling of elephants to reduce their population.

Zimbabwe last culled elephants in 1988 but the exercise was heavily criticised by animal rights groups across the world.

In the community

Hwange police seek public’s help in locating missing teen

Published

1 month ago

May 15, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Hwange police are urgently seeking the public’s assistance in locating 16-year-old Latoya Lisa Munkuli, who went missing on May 7, this month.

Latoya, a dark-complexioned female juvenile, was last seen leaving her residence in Hwange around 4 pm.

She was wearing a distinctive outfit consisting of green trousers and a white T-shirt, and carried a black satchel. She stands approximately 1.6 meters tall.

Inspector Glory Banda of the Hwange police is leading the investigation and urges anyone with information about Latoya’s whereabouts to come forward.

If you have any information about Latoya’s disappearance, please contact Inspector Banda on 0785961747 or 0771256607.

In the community

Human-wildlife conflict claims 18 lives in Zimbabwe’s first quarter

Published

2 months ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has reported a disturbing trend of human-wildlife conflict in the country’s first quarter of 2025. According to the authority, 18 people have lost their lives, and 32 others have been injured in encounters with wildlife.

ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo revealed that the authority received 579 cases of human-wildlife conflict, which they managed to respond to promptly. The incidents have also resulted in significant livestock losses, with at least 53 cattle and 85 goats killed by wildlife.

The districts most affected by these incidents include Binga, Hwange, Kariba, Chiredzi, Hurungwe, Nyaminyami, and Mbire. ZimParks has been working tirelessly to raise awareness about wildlife behaviors and effective preventive measures in these areas.

In response to the crisis, ZimParks has translocated 129 animals back into protected areas and eliminated 158 animals deemed problematic.

“We encourage communities to continue reporting incidents to ZimParks Problem Animal Control numbers and local leadership, such as Councillors, Traditional Leaders, and Rural District Council Authorities, to ensure that we preserve lives,” Farawo urged.

The significant increase in livestock losses, with cattle deaths rising from 18 to 53 and goat deaths from 21 to 85 compared to the same period in 2024, highlights the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe.

ZimParks’ efforts to mitigate the conflict include community initiatives to educate people on managing wildlife encounters effectively.

In the community

Crocodile attacks claim 9 lives, injure 11

Published

3 months ago

March 13, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A surge in crocodile attacks has left a trail of death and destruction in Zimbabwe, with 9 fatalities and 11 injuries reported in the last two months.

According to a statement released by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), 49 human-crocodile conflict cases were recorded during the same period, resulting in the loss of 44 cattle and 60 goats.

The Mid-Zambezi region, which includes Lake Kariba, Angwa River, and Hunyani River, was the hardest hit, with 19 cases reported. The Central region recorded 14 cases, while 16 cases were reported in other areas, including Matopo, Harare, North-West Matabeleland, and South-East Low-veld.

ZimParks has urged communities to exercise extreme caution, especially around water bodies, during the current rain season. The authority has advised communities to ensure that livestock and children are not left unattended near rivers or lakes, and to take precautions when engaging in water activities such as fishing, swimming, and domestic chores.

To mitigate the situation, ZimParks is working closely with local authorities and conservation partners to raise public awareness and promote safety practices. The authority has emphasized its commitment to finding a balance between ensuring public safety and conserving wildlife.

As the situation continues to unfold, ZimParks has appealed to the public to remain vigilant and to report any crocodile sightings or attacks to the authorities.