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Runesu Gwidi Herald Correspondent
Villagers in Ziki communal lands in Bikita are being terrorised by a pride of lions that has so far allegedly killed more than 20 cattle after straying from the nearby Save Valley Conservancy.

The marauding lions are believed to have escaped Save Valley by taking advantage of the vandalised perimeter fence around the wildlife-rich conservancy.

Bikita District Administrator Mr Benard Hadzirabwi bemoaned the continued loss of villagers’ livestock to the stray lions.

Mr Hadzirabwi said the district’s Civil Protection Unit together with Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority were working flat out to ensure the marauding lions were contained.

‘‘I can confirm that villagers in the Ziki area have made numerous reports about the problem of lions that are killing their livestock and we have since activated the Civil Protection Unit in the district to handle the issue as a matter of urgency,’’ he said.

“We have also engaged the Parks to handle the situation before it goes out of hand.’’

He, however, conceded that the problem of human-wildlife conflict will remain a thorn in the flesh for communities around Save Valley until the restoration of the vandalised perimeter fence.

Zim Parks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the problem of marauding lions in Bikita saying a team of rangers had since been deployed to track them.

Mr Farawo said four teams were on the ground to hunt the problem lions.

“We have since dispatched four teams of rangers to deal with the lions in Bikita and we hope that in the near future, the problem of marauding lions would have been tackled in the area,’’ he said.

Mr Farawo appealed to communities adjacent wildlife sanctuaries to immediately report the presence of stray wild animals, particularly dangerous predators such as lions.

One villager in the Ziki area, Mr Aaron Magigwana, claimed that he lost six head of cattle to the stray lions that were believed to have found a new habitat in the nearby Dzivaguru Mountain in Bikita.

The stray lions are reportedly on the prowl in other areas near Ziki such as Tagona, Marima Farm, Nyika and Baradzanwa thicket among others.

Government has already announced plans to erect a perimeter fence around Save Valley.