BY ALLIEWAY NYONI
A FRESH human-wildlife conflict is looming in Chivi North and Zvishavane following reports by village heads that a parade of four elephants was seen at Takavarasha village before two crossed Runde River to Mazvihwa.
Rangers from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) from Mushandike confirmed the development and advised the public to notify the police or relevant authorities if they come across the jumbos.
“Tracking ZimParks rangers have picked spoor of four jumbos at Murowa-Buchwa area in Zvishavane and another spoor has been discovered at Chitowa in Chivi North, with prints indicating that other two jumbos are heading towards Shurugwi area,” said one of the ZimParks rangers.
“It is not known which direction the other two took in Mazvihwa area upon separating from others,” said Zvishavane-Runde Member of Parliament Cuthbert Mpame, who was assisting rangers in search of the dangerous animals.
ZimParks Ngezi cluster manager Trumber Jura advised the public to spread information and avoid a tourist approach in trying to view the animals.
“Let’s keep our people informed about the presence of these straying elephants to save life. Elephants can cover very long distances in a short space of time. If encountered they can pound their target to death.
“Imagine the little ones, especially those unsuspecting schoolchildren, who are likely to take a touristic approach seeing the jumbos as big toys and tamper with them, therefore, inviting an obvious horrific death,” he said.
Jura said his department was working tirelessly to apprehend the jumbos and place them into safety.
Chief Madyengove in Chivi said the animals were suspected to have moved from conservatives in Chikombedzi and were travelling upstream along the Runde River and were first spotat Takavarasha.
