News / Local
Bulawayo stray lion remains elusive
07 May 2014 at 08:05hrs | Views
THE tracking team on the trail of the stray lion which was spotted in Waterford in Bulawayo on Sunday evening had by last night failed to nail the dangerous canine.
A member of the tracking team yesterday said they were busy searching for the lion in the Gumtree area, which lies east of Waterford and is more wooded.
"We were on the ground the whole night and unfortunately did not find the lion. It is mobile and we suspect it may be around Gumtree area. We will catch up with it soon," he said.
The lion was first seen at Dambari near Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage on April 25 and tracked to Mthombothemba Dam.
Unconfirmed reports claim it has killed a cow and a donkey.
On Sunday night it caused panic on a street in Waterford where it was seen along Coventry Road by two women, Susan Rice and Idzai Durani.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority officials tracking the big cat said they were amazed by its behaviour of straying onto the streets, as normally lions shun populated areas.
This has fuelled rumours that the lion could have escaped from Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage, a facility that keeps and looks after wounded animals but officials there dismissed the suspicions saying all their lions were safely caged.
Zimparks spokesperson Caroline Washaya-Moyo said she could not comment as she was on another assignment in Bindura.
"I am out of office in Bindura on assignment. Plus magara manyora kudhara ka (Also you have already written the story)," she said.
A member of the tracking team yesterday said they were busy searching for the lion in the Gumtree area, which lies east of Waterford and is more wooded.
"We were on the ground the whole night and unfortunately did not find the lion. It is mobile and we suspect it may be around Gumtree area. We will catch up with it soon," he said.
The lion was first seen at Dambari near Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage on April 25 and tracked to Mthombothemba Dam.
Unconfirmed reports claim it has killed a cow and a donkey.
On Sunday night it caused panic on a street in Waterford where it was seen along Coventry Road by two women, Susan Rice and Idzai Durani.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority officials tracking the big cat said they were amazed by its behaviour of straying onto the streets, as normally lions shun populated areas.
This has fuelled rumours that the lion could have escaped from Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage, a facility that keeps and looks after wounded animals but officials there dismissed the suspicions saying all their lions were safely caged.
Zimparks spokesperson Caroline Washaya-Moyo said she could not comment as she was on another assignment in Bindura.
"I am out of office in Bindura on assignment. Plus magara manyora kudhara ka (Also you have already written the story)," she said.
Source - chronicle
