Marauding lions cause havoc in Mat South

Chronicle Reporter
October 7, 2008



A PRIDE of lions escaped from a farm in Mangwe District in Matabeleland South Province last week where they were kept and went on to kill seven cattle.
There are also unconfirmed reports that they also killed a villager.
Speaking in a telephone interview from Plumtree town yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer of Mangwe Rural District Council, Mr Nketha Mangoye said five lions broke out of Sundowns Farm on Tuesday night.
“After breaking out of the farm, they strayed to a neighbouring farm, Three Streams. Immediately after receiving that report, our officers and those from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority set off to track them,†he said.
“For three days our officers and the parks staff tracked the lions but had difficulties in locating them. At the same time, we also received a report that there was another lion that was roaming in the area.â€
Mr Mangoye said the lions were only forced back to their cages on Friday and by that time they had killed seven cattle.
“The lions have instilled a lot of fear among the villagers especially with rumours that they killed one person. The villagers are now afraid to do their normal business in the area lest they are attacked.
“Arrangements are already being made to relocate the lions which broke away from Sundowns Farm to a place which could be much secure than where they are now. Information, which we have received so far, indicates that those animals broke away from the farm because they were not being fed well,†he said.
Matabeleland South police confirmed that there were lions that broke out of a farm in Mangwe, but did not have details.
“Yes, we can confirm that five lions broke out of Sundowns Farm last week. However, we cannot yet establish what happened after they broke away because of communication break down with a police post there,†said Matabeleland South police spokesman Assistant Inspector Trust Ndlovu.
He said they were going to dispatch a team of police officers today to find out what happened.