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Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
Rangers from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) have put down three lions believed to have killed a three-year-old girl in the Dhitoyi area of Chiredzi last Saturday. The lions reportedly attacked and killed the girl after straying into the area, where they also killed more than a dozen cattle and goats. Zimparks public relations manager Mr Tinashe Farawo said game rangers had eliminated the killer lions that were terrorising villagers in Chiredzi and surrounding areas.

“Our team of game rangers have successfully tracked down and killed all the three lions, which killed a three-year-old girl in Chiredzi last week,” said Mr Farawo.

“Our reaction teams will continue to monitor the situation in the area as they want to address cases of human and livestock loss.” He implored villagers to report the presence of predators such as lions and hyenas in their areas timeously. We don’t want to continue losing lives through situations that we can avoid. It is every villager’s role to team up with us and try to avoid the continued unnecessary loss of human life. Not only humans are in danger because of these predators but also livestock,” he said.

Last week, the Dhitoyi community was plunged into mourning after lions killed a three-year-old girl barely a week after the lions had killed a 10-year-old boy in the Wasarawasara resettlement area in northern Chiredzi. Cases of human and wildlife conflict continue to rise in Chiredzi as most wildlife sanctuaries such as Save Valley conservancy and Gonarezhou National Park have no perimeter fence around them.