Panic as hyena kills 30 cattle

BUBI Rural District Council has engaged the services of a professional hunter to track down a hyena that has killed more than 30 cattle.

Bubi council's chief executive officer, Mr Patson Mlilo, said the hyena has killed more than 30 cattle as well as an unspecified number of donkeys, goats and sheep since the beginning of this year.

He said the continued loss of livestock has prompted the local authority to take the latest action.

"I've a record of more than 30 cattle having been killed by this single hyena. The hyena has been killing livestock at Dromoland grazing land and sometimes comes to village kraals. Despite the drought, villagers now fear to take their livestock to nearby grazing land."Council has engaged a professional hunter to do the job. We've since found someone whom we believe may be able to kill the hyena," Mr Mlilo said.

He said the hunter was good at his job and the hyena's days were numbered. Ward 12 councillor, Mrs Sithembiso Ndlovu said villagers had tried to trap the hyena, but their efforts had come to naught. "Last year, there were two hyenas but since we killed one, this one has since become worse.

We're wondering whether all this damage is being caused by a single hyena because it's too much," she said.