Baboons wreak havoc at Matopo High School

A TROOP of monkeys and baboons has unleashed havoc at Matopo High School in Matabeleland South province, causing infrastructural damage that includes the breaking of windows and furniture, the Southern Eye heard.

Ward 15 councillor Dickson Moyo told Southern Eye yesterday that the apes were causing terror, particularly at the school which remains closed.

Matobo district is home to several game parks, particularly the Matopo National Park where the remains of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes are interred.

"These animals flock in large numbers together with their younger ones, get into classrooms at Matopo High School and cause damage to school property such as windows, chairs and desks,'' Moyo said.

"Our crops are being harvested well before maturity stage."

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Tinashe Farawo blamed the human-wildlife conflict in Matobo district to overpopulation.

"This problem is all over the country because of overpopulation," Farawo said.

Currently, the only available methods to control problem animals are through hunts, which have proved ineffective.