Lions maul safari guide to death

PRESS STATEMENT BY ZIMBABWE PARKS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY BOARD CHAIRMAN MR ALVIN,DUMISANI NCUBE ON HUMAN WILDLIFE CASES .


Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority learnt with shock and sadness that an employee with Somabula Safaris was last night attacked and killed by lions in Matusadonha.

The employee, name supplied, was killed by three lionesses on the 4th of September while docking the company house boat (Somabula House boat).

 Matusadonha field station was immediately informed and went to attend the scene as one of the lionesses has a collar.

 Rangers tried to scare the predators by firing shots resulting in two of the three lionesses were being wounded.

Today, 5 September, two lionesses have already been killed; the other is being tracked down.

Parks rangers also secured the area while awaiting the arrival of the police to attend the scene.

To date 5 people have been killed while 12 have been injured country-wide owing to human wildlife conflict.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority appeals to the public to respect the distance between themselves and wildlife and to always report the presence of wildlife in their areas to the local traditional leadership, the police or Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority offices.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority is going to continue to hold awareness campaign programmes with communities with view to minimizing human wildlife conflict cases while increasing public safety.