News / Regional
Man survive death by a whisker after fighting off a lion
24 Feb 2014 at 07:01hrs | Views
A 26-YEAR-OLD Chikandakubi villager from Jambezi under Chief Shana and his father survived death by a whisker after fighting off a lioness that attacked them while heading home with their livestock from the pastures.
In an interview with Southern Eye from his Victoria Falls District Hospital bed on Friday, Khonani Shoko said he would never forget the attack which left him with a double fracture on his left hand and deep wounds all over his body.
Shoko said what started as a normal routine day on February 5, when he and his father Funani were driving their livestock home, turned into horror when they were attacked by the lioness.
Shoko said as they were nearing their homestead, he heard an unusual sound behind him and when he turned, he saw a lion approaching them. He said even before he could run, the lioness had jumped on him.
"We were herding cattle with my father at around 4pm when l heard an unusual noise behind us," he recounted.
"When I turned to check, I saw an animal running towards me, but it wasn't clear what kind of animal it was because of the long grass.
"I tried to run away and screamed to alert my father who had gone to check on the other beasts across the river, but it quickly jumped on me and I felt powerless to fight it."
Shoko said he only realised that it was a lioness when it was attacking him and he tried to fight it off.
He said the lioness left him, but came back for him again as he tried to run away.
"After the scream and the fight we made with my father it left, but I was now weak and in pain such that I couldn't run and it came again to attack me and that's when I broke my left hand and I was severely bleeding," Shoko said.
The lioness finally left them, but he had been badly injured and was ferried to hospital the following day. The lioness was later shot dead by Zimparks rangers.
Marauding lions have reportedly killed more than 20 cattle and donkeys in the Jambezi area this year alone.
Hwange Rural Distinct Council vice-chairperson Matthew Muleya confirmed the lion attack and said they were now working with Zimparks rangers to contain the wild animal problems through the animal control programme.
In an interview with Southern Eye from his Victoria Falls District Hospital bed on Friday, Khonani Shoko said he would never forget the attack which left him with a double fracture on his left hand and deep wounds all over his body.
Shoko said what started as a normal routine day on February 5, when he and his father Funani were driving their livestock home, turned into horror when they were attacked by the lioness.
Shoko said as they were nearing their homestead, he heard an unusual sound behind him and when he turned, he saw a lion approaching them. He said even before he could run, the lioness had jumped on him.
"We were herding cattle with my father at around 4pm when l heard an unusual noise behind us," he recounted.
"When I turned to check, I saw an animal running towards me, but it wasn't clear what kind of animal it was because of the long grass.
"I tried to run away and screamed to alert my father who had gone to check on the other beasts across the river, but it quickly jumped on me and I felt powerless to fight it."
Shoko said he only realised that it was a lioness when it was attacking him and he tried to fight it off.
He said the lioness left him, but came back for him again as he tried to run away.
"After the scream and the fight we made with my father it left, but I was now weak and in pain such that I couldn't run and it came again to attack me and that's when I broke my left hand and I was severely bleeding," Shoko said.
The lioness finally left them, but he had been badly injured and was ferried to hospital the following day. The lioness was later shot dead by Zimparks rangers.
Marauding lions have reportedly killed more than 20 cattle and donkeys in the Jambezi area this year alone.
Hwange Rural Distinct Council vice-chairperson Matthew Muleya confirmed the lion attack and said they were now working with Zimparks rangers to contain the wild animal problems through the animal control programme.
Source - Southern Eye
