The Daily Mirror Online
Animals kill 500 people
The Daily Mirror Reporter
issue date :2006-Oct-17

MORE than 500 people were killed by wild animals in communal areas bordering the country’s national parks and newly resettled farms in wildlife corridors since the beginning of the year, The Daily Mirror has learnt.

The human and animal conflicts have also been heightened by the fact that people were resettled in animal corridors and were competing for territorial space.

Statistics

Available statistics show that in the five rural district councils of Binga, Guruve, Hwange, Kariba, Bulilima and Mangwe, elephants killed more than 300 people, while hippos, buffaloes, crocodiles, snakes and wild dogs claimed the remainder.
Deaths also occurred when victims were attacked while guarding their fields or were out fishing or hunting.
Binga and Guruve districts recorded the highest number of conflicts between game and people, while the figures were small in Hwange and Bulilima.
“Several people have been killed by elephants, buffaloes and hippos while crocodiles have also maimed others. It is a common occurrence especially during the cropping season,†said Tyros Mudimba, who works for an anti-poaching patrol team in Binga.
Casualties could, however, be higher, with Mudimba saying some cases were not reported because of the inaccessibility of certain places such in Binga.
“We rely on the word of mouth in some areas as we cannot access them. It’s not surprising that the number of people trampled may be even more,†said Mudimba.
Anti-poaching teams work with communities to contain rogue animals they also put down if they kill or maim people.
In Hwange district, elephants trampled more than 10 people to death while buffaloes gored five and crocodiles accounted for three recorded fatalities.
Guruve, Bulilima and Mangwe districts also recorded numerous deaths blamed on attacks by jumbos and hippos.
According to officials, most of the incidents were not reported due to poor communication.
“Reports are slow to come to us, but those that we get we record. Where there are problem animals we have been very quick to dispatch our teams,†said an official from Bulilima, who declined identification.
Settlers in newly occupied farms in parts of Matabeleland North and South are also bearing the brunt of nature as marauding tuskers are destroying their crops and endangering their lives.

No compensation

The victims are not compensated although there is a provision under the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire) that they be paid damages while proper burial should be accorded to those killed by wildlife.
The only assistance victims of rogue animals usually get is a bag of maize-meal or a coffin provided by the rural district council.
“Victims of wild animal conflicts are sometimes buried without coffins as they are simply wrapped in blankets and thrown into graves,†lamented James Gaidzanwa, from Masoka village, Guruve.
Gaidzanwa, now a student at the Midlands State University (MSU) in Gweru, said despite the millions of dollars earned from wildlife by tour and safari operators, not much was remitted to communities in times of tragedy.
Over 90 percent of revenue earned by rural communities under Campfire comes directly from foreign trophy hunters of elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards or other wild animals.
Campfire national manager Charles Jonga, whose organisation works directly with affected communities, said he did not immediately have the exact number of people killed by problem game.
He said such details could only be availed after rural district councils released the figures.
“I don’t think there was much this year as I don’t have the exact statistics. But we can’t rule that out considering the human and animals conflicts experienced in those areas,†Jonga said.
He is also on record advocating for the establishment of proper compensatory structures by private safari and tour operators conducting hunting expeditions in communities cohabitating with wild animals.
National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Retired Major Edward Mbewe urged people to exercise extreme caution when dealing with wild animals, reiterating the absence of compensation for victims.
“No, we don’t have anything like that (compensation) at the moment. People should just be careful not to intimidate animals.
“In the long term, however, I think there should be some legislative provisions that deal with that issue,†he said.
Mbewe said human/game conflicts were common, especially in areas surrounding park estates, and advised people never to disturb wild animals, as they were unpredictable.

quote:

MORE than 500 people were killed by wild animals in communal areas bordering the country’s national parks and newly resettled farms in wildlife corridors since the beginning of the year, The Daily Mirror has learnt.

The human and animal conflicts have also been heightened by the fact that people were resettled in animal corridors and were competing for territorial space.

Seems to me that the responsible party is the government for settling the poor buggers in the wrong areas.

When I was in the Northern Omay in August, one of the camp managers said, "You know only a few years ago all this valley here was bush."

Now it was spotted with "homesteads" of thatched huts, all with their crops, and little bush left.

Is it humans encroaching on territory which animals used to inhabitat or the other way round.

Everyday and everyplace we ran into wandering locals - cutting grass, cutting wood, fishing, poaching, gold panning etc etc. All in the areas reserved for hunting. The PH always gave them a tongue lashing, but nothing else, as the fine they would get was so much smaller than the cost of fuel to drive them to the council that no one bothered anymore. Maybe sometimes the local wildlife takes an active part in controlling some of the tresspassers ...........

The "funniest" sight was small crops being grown right on the edge of Lake Kariba. The PH said they do it every year and every year the elephant, buffalo or hippos completely wipe out the crop. Not to mention the people killed as well. Then the locals complain about the animals. Every few years the authorities go and destroy their temporary huts etc as well. They do have farming areas available near their normal village.

The local chief had thirty-three children. That's right 33 children. Maybe population control IS the answer.

My one and only trip to Africa (sadly) was in 1993. (I went in the Chirisa safari district of Zimbabwe) On my very first night in Johannesburg (before flying out to the camp next morning) I read in a newspaper about a young man being totally castrated by a hippo. I started to sense that I was wentering a different world. I lived to learn that once you are in the "bush",you are cut off from the world. (Short wave radios in camp are not much good when walking in the bush) I heard stories about crocs grabbing women who came down to wash clothes, babies being grabbed by leopards because their mothers put them down (to wash the clothes in the river where the crocs were waiting). Snake bite is something no one wants to mention -and it happens. These are the undramatic things that can happen- and never make the Western media. I heard figures about snake bite alone that far exceed any "500" figure (and I'm talking about 1993) I defer to those who live in Africa and are familiar with the bush. Just my thoughts and memories.