News / National
Mayhem as witchcraft bird flies off with baby
03 Mar 2015 at 07:54hrs | Views
IN a bizarre incident a strange black bird reportedly snatched a one and half year old boy from his parents' bedroom in Gokwe and flew away with him.
The bird only dropped the child after flying for almost a kilometre, when the boy's father chased after it and threw stones at it.
Shell shocked villagers told Bulawayo24 News they suspected witchcraft was at play in the blood curdling incident.
The incident happened last week on Wednesday around 2PM at Cosmas Kuyana and Barbra Nzou's homestead.
The boy's mother, Nzou, said she temporarily went blind before the squawking bird appeared at her homestead.
The boy's parents said the bird stripped off baby Takudzwa Kuyana's clothes and dumped them on top of the bedroom hut before returning to lift him.
He said his heart was hammering in his chest as he realised his baby might disappear forever if he did not act.
"I was paralysed by fear but my love for my son prompted me to act, so I ran after the bird and threw stones at it until it dropped him. The baby's cheeks were bruised and his shoulder was swollen when we picked him up and ran back home," said Kuyana.
Kuyana said the family was consulting traditional healers over the issue as it was unheard of that a bird can lift a human being and fly off with him.
He said the bird had been seen circling his homestead after the incident.
Gokwe North District Administrator Fortune Mupungu confirmed the incident and said the headman of the area was dealing with the matter.
The bird only dropped the child after flying for almost a kilometre, when the boy's father chased after it and threw stones at it.
Shell shocked villagers told Bulawayo24 News they suspected witchcraft was at play in the blood curdling incident.
The incident happened last week on Wednesday around 2PM at Cosmas Kuyana and Barbra Nzou's homestead.
The boy's mother, Nzou, said she temporarily went blind before the squawking bird appeared at her homestead.
He said his heart was hammering in his chest as he realised his baby might disappear forever if he did not act.
"I was paralysed by fear but my love for my son prompted me to act, so I ran after the bird and threw stones at it until it dropped him. The baby's cheeks were bruised and his shoulder was swollen when we picked him up and ran back home," said Kuyana.
Kuyana said the family was consulting traditional healers over the issue as it was unheard of that a bird can lift a human being and fly off with him.
He said the bird had been seen circling his homestead after the incident.
Gokwe North District Administrator Fortune Mupungu confirmed the incident and said the headman of the area was dealing with the matter.
Source - Byo24News
