Three lions poisoned in Chipinge

By Luthando Mapepa

At least three lions that had caused havoc in Chipinge killing cattle were poisoned at the weekend and their carcases were found on Monday.

The lions strayed from the nearby Save Conservancy and had killed hundreds of cattle in areas such as Chibuwe, Masimbe, Gumira, Maronga and Middle Sabi.

Councillor for Ward 20, Councillor Charles Mugidho, said the case was reported to the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the police.

“On Monday, Muchaiyana villagers discovered three lion carcases at their farms. We believe that they were poisoned on Sunday night by disgruntled villagers who had lost their cattle to the cats. The predators were killing at least two to four cattle per day in areas along Save River since last year,” said Clr Mugidho.

Efforts to get a comment from the Department of Parks and Wildlife were fruitless at the time of going to print. An elderly villager who declined to be named said they were now poisoning the wild cats to protect their livestock.

“Look, we are losing cattle each day. I have lost seven beasts since last year to the lions. We have raised our concerns with the Department of Parks and Wildlife, but they are not doing enough to contain the situation,” he said. Manica Post