News / Regional
Plumtree villagers living in fear of a stray lion
12 Aug 2013 at 08:37hrs | Views
VILLAGERS of Thekwane in Bulilima District are living in fear of a lion said to be roaming the area.
In an interview, Chief Mpini Ndiweni said villagers were alarmed when the lion passed through the area on Wednesday evening.
"On Thursday morning I received a report that people had seen a spoor which they suspected belonged to a lion. A report was made to the local authority officials who came to have a look at the spoor and confirmed that it was that of a lion.
"What worries people most is that they fear the lion might still be close by as we are not certain of its whereabouts at the moment. People are not feeling safe at the moment and tracking it down will help ease the tension," he said.
Chief Mpini said the spoor was first seen at Quested Farm, about five kilometres from Plumtree Town and it moved through Thekwane Farm.
Bulilima chief executive officer Mr John Brown Ncube said the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority confirmed that the spoor belonged to a lion.
"We received a report on Thursday that a spoor suspected to be of a lion was seen at Thekwane Farm. A team comprising officials from the local authority and parks immediately went to inspect the spoor and we received a confirmation that indeed it was that of a lion," he said.
Mr Ncube said there was an urgent need to track down the lion and ascertain its whereabouts to ensure the safety of villagers.
"So far no one has reported to have seen the lion. We have also not received any reports of any harm caused by the lion. We want to track it and kill it before it causes any harm but we need a permit to do that.
"We hope to get one soon as we have requested for it from parks. I cannot ascertain where the lion is right now and the distance it has travelled which proves the urgent need to track it down as it could be anywhere," said Mr Ncube.
In an interview, Chief Mpini Ndiweni said villagers were alarmed when the lion passed through the area on Wednesday evening.
"On Thursday morning I received a report that people had seen a spoor which they suspected belonged to a lion. A report was made to the local authority officials who came to have a look at the spoor and confirmed that it was that of a lion.
"What worries people most is that they fear the lion might still be close by as we are not certain of its whereabouts at the moment. People are not feeling safe at the moment and tracking it down will help ease the tension," he said.
Chief Mpini said the spoor was first seen at Quested Farm, about five kilometres from Plumtree Town and it moved through Thekwane Farm.
"We received a report on Thursday that a spoor suspected to be of a lion was seen at Thekwane Farm. A team comprising officials from the local authority and parks immediately went to inspect the spoor and we received a confirmation that indeed it was that of a lion," he said.
Mr Ncube said there was an urgent need to track down the lion and ascertain its whereabouts to ensure the safety of villagers.
"So far no one has reported to have seen the lion. We have also not received any reports of any harm caused by the lion. We want to track it and kill it before it causes any harm but we need a permit to do that.
"We hope to get one soon as we have requested for it from parks. I cannot ascertain where the lion is right now and the distance it has travelled which proves the urgent need to track it down as it could be anywhere," said Mr Ncube.
Source - Chronicle
