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Lion sighted near Mutare

Friday, 31 August 2012 10:15

Sithokozile Hlahla

Post Reporter

A LION is on the loose in the Vumba area, less than 30km from Mutare where it is wreaking havoc, having killed two cattle in a space of two weeks, with the latest attack reported on Sunday night around the Craig Valley area.
The lion scare has also affected business in the resort area as some places were reported to be receiving last minute cancellation of bookings with guests citing their safety.
When The Manica Post visited the area on Wednesday, some Wildlife Environment Protection Unit scouts and rangers were tracking the animal and fresh spoor of the king of the jungle was visible.

The remains of the beast that was killed on Sunday were scattered all over.
The game scouts could not shed more light on the matter and referred all questions to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife public relations officer, Ms Caroline Washaya, whose mobile was unreachable at the time of going to Press.
However, according to the information at hand, the lion, which is thought to be a grown male, most probably came from the Himalaya Mountains on the Mozambican side where there are dense forests and caves. There is also strong suspicion that it is still in the Craig Valley area as a zebra was recently seen fleeing to a nearby kraal and fresh spoor was being found almost on a daily basis.
Villagers have since been warned to be on the lookout and not to stray too far into the bush at night as it is the time the lion usually hunts.
Also warned were some members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church who were holding their annual camp meeting nearby, oblivious to the presence of the lion in the area.
Some villagers who spoke to The Manica Post said the area seems to be a periodic hunting ground for lions as in 2008; three cattle were attacked by lions. The lions were also spotted in 2009.
Fortunately, no humans have been attacked to date.
Mr Theophilus Kadzura of Lot 4, Cloudlands, whose beast was attacked on Sunday, said it was the second time he had lost livestock to the lions.
"The lion attacks are somehow periodic around this area. In 2008, I lost two beasts when some lions invaded this area and I even came face to face with one of them, luckily, it did not attack me.
"Last Sunday night around 11.30pm, the lion came to my homestead and roared near the cattle kraal. The cattle which were eight in number panicked and broke out of the pen. The lion went after three of the cattle and attacked a young bull. It dragged for about 10 metres before devouring its hindquarters, liver and kidneys.
"I managed to take the rest of the carcass home the following morning after some people had notified me that my beast had been run over by a car; not knowing it was a lion that attacked it.
"The lion also came back to the homestead on Monday night, but we lit a huge fire and it did not attack any more animals. We are now lighting fires every night so as to scare the cat away," he said.
There was a unanimous view among some villagers that the lion would attack again in the same area soon and many are now living in fear of coming face to face with the king of the jungle.
"From the way these lions have been attacking and the direction its spoor is leading to, I strongly suspect the lion will attack again within this area. People have been notified that there is a lion on the loose, but some people are stubborn and continue to walk at night especially those coming from the bar. I fear that it is only a matter of time before someone comes face to face with it," said one villager who only identified himself as Peter.
A wildlife expert who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that in the event that someone comes face to face with a lion, one should not run or panic, but instead stand their ground.
"A lion is a very intimidating creature when it attacks. However, if you come face to face with it, don't run but stand your ground and stare it in the eyes. One can also wave their arms, jump up and down and scream so as to distract it," said the expert.