Girl (9) survives elephant attack

NINE YEAR OLD Kariba girl is lucky to be alive after a stray elephant pierced one of her legs with its tusks in a nerve wrecking incident that continues to elicit sympathy in the town.

Moira Madziya sustained a broken leg and several wounds all over her body. She is now recovering at Harare Central Hospital.

Narrating the horrific attack from her hospital bed last week, Moira said the incident took place while she was going home from school.

"It was in the afternoon as my friends and I were coming from school. All of a sadden, an elephant charged towards us, sending everyone screaming and running in different directions," she said.

"I remember crying and trying to run away at the same time. But I fell down and the elephant stabbed my left thigh with its task.

"The attack only stopped after I stopped crying." The Grade 3 pupil said two unidentified men rushed her to hospital where she promptly received medical attention.

She was later ferried to Harare after her leg was confirmed broken. So deep was the wound that doctors at the health institution had to perform skin grafting.

"The entire experience has been very painful," said Moira.

Harare Children's Hospital Matron Sister Margaret Tengende said the nine- year-old's life was out of danger.

'"Her condition was critical when she was admitted. It is a miracle she survived such an attack," she said.

"The tusk stabbed her hip, penetrating deeply, thereby breaking her bone. The wound was bad and too open that we had to perform skin grafting in order to help it heal faster."

Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Mrs Caroline Washaya-Moyo confirmed the incident. She said her organisation would continue conducting educational campaigns to reduce human wildlife conflict.

"I can confirm that a sad incident occurred where a primary school pupil was attacked and wounded by an elephant at Charara River near Charara Banana Farm," she said.

Mrs Washaya-Moyo said the authority dispatched 10 rangers, eight of them senior, to investigate the case, adding that communities should quickly report incidents of human-wildlife conflict.

Meanwhile, a Mashonaiand West game ranger was killed by an elephant while his colleague sustained serious injuries after the two tried to scare away 15 of the gigantic mammals from a maize field.

According to police, the incident occurred in Siakobvu on the morning of March 31. It is understood Mr Seesaw Marumisa and Mr Adam Kanengoni were patrolling the Marembera area after villagers alerted them of a herd of marauding elephants.

The two rangers spotted the animals and tried to scare them away. However, one of them charged and hoisted Mr Marumisa with its trunk before trading him to the ground.

It also kicked Mr Kanengoni.

Mashonaland West acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ian Kohwera said Mr Maruraisa died on his way to hospital.