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Freeman Razemba Crime Reporter
A 40-YEAR-Old tour guide was on Monday morning killed by a lion that attacked him as he led tourists in the Hwange National Park.

Qin Terrence Swales, who was employed by Zambezi Heritage, was killed by the lion called Nxaha.

The lion is also being used by Oxford University, which collared it two weeks ago, for research purposes.

Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, confirmed the incident yesterday.

“The incident occurred at around 6:45 am when Qin Terrence Swales who was leading six tourists was attacked and killed by a lion called Nxaha,” she said.

She said during the tour, the tourists spotted six lions that were under a nearby tree.

During the process, two cubs came near the tourists in a friendly manner, but this did not go down well with Nxaha who attempted to attack them.

This prompted Swales to shout the lion’s name and it retreated briefly.

“Later on, the lion came back and it attacked and struck Swales on the neck. He screamed and fell down and the lion went away,” Snr Asst Comm Charamba said.

Swales sustained a deep cut on the neck and chest and a helicopter was summoned to ferry him to the hospital, but when it arrived he had already died.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba warned people especially tourists to avoid disembarking from vehicles during tours and where there were dangerous animals.

She said animal behaviour was unpredictable and people should not risk their lives. This is not the first time that lions have attacked and killed people in the country this year.

In April, a 14-year-old boy was killed and devoured by a lion while guarding a family maize plot in Mariga Village in Chapoto near Kanyemba Border Post in Mashonaland Central.