Zimbabwe man has two fingers chopped off by hyena

A man from Zaka District in Masvingo Province has been hospitalised after a hyena attack left him with two missing fingers, one from each hand.

Samuel Mahachi, from Rupfidza Village in Ward 20, was bathing with his 15-year-old son in a local river when the animal attacked.

His son, assisted by other villagers, managed to drive the hyena away. The teenager was also scratched during the struggle.

Local councillor Walter Masaka confirmed the incident to TellZim News, saying Mahachi was recovering at Musiso Mission Hospital.

The attack has heightened fears in the community, where residents say hyenas have become a persistent threat.

Masaka said the animals were now regularly seen roaming around villages from as early as 5pm until 8am and appeared increasingly unafraid of people.

Livestock losses have also been significant, with more than 50 goats and sheep, around 15 donkeys and two cattle reportedly killed in recent years.

According to Masaka, attacks tend to increase at this time of year when livestock is less frequently herded and some animals are left unsecured overnight.

The surrounding mountainous terrain provides refuge for the hyenas, particularly in the Nhemwe, Guraudye, Masvingamashava, Demba, Nyagombe and Masasa ranges.

Masaka said a hyena recently entered a house at a Chinoda homestead but left without taking anything.

In another incident, villagers killed a hyena after it attacked a community garden guard returning from night duty in the early hours of the morning.

"We have a solar-powered borehole in a community garden, so the community employs a guard. While he was coming from his night duty, he met a hyena, and he called others, and they managed to kill it," Masaka said.

Masaka thanked Zaka Rural District Council, Zaka South MP Clemence Chiduwa, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), the Civil Protection Unit and the District Development Coordinator's office for responding to the situation.

He said ZimParks officers were currently in the area tracking the animals.

Masaka urged residents to avoid travelling at night and to ensure that livestock was securely confined.

The latest attack follows a similar incident in July 2022, when three members of a family from Mapfumo Village under Chief Bota were attacked while attempting to protect their goats.

The hyena first attacked Robert Murove before turning on his wife, Muchanyara Munodya, and then his father, Rwatiwenga Murove, who had rushed to the scene carrying a log.

Villagers eventually managed to drive the animal away. Munodya, who had given birth just 18 days earlier, lost both hands in the attack and was left unable to feed or care for her newborn.