Langton Nyakwenda recently in KARIBA

NEARLY 300 people have been killed by wild animals in various parts of Zimbabwe in the last five years while hundreds more such deaths have gone unrecorded.

About 38 people were killed by animals in 2019 — half of those were trampled by elephants whose growing population has now become a cause for concern for Southern Africa.

Southern Africa’s 250 000 jumbos contribute 75 percent of the world’s elephant population.

As human-wildlife conflict incidences continue to escalate in Zimbabwe, which is home to over 80 000 elephants, it is further estimated that more than 7 000 hectares of crops are destroyed annually by these jumbos.

According to Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), the country’s national parks have an elephant carrying capacity of 50 000, yet the national herd currently stands at slightly over 84 000.

“The biggest problem is overpopulation of animals, especially elephants, which are invading human settlements in search of water and food. Apart from killing and injuring people, these animals are also destroying their own habitat and ecology,” said Tinashe Farawo, ZimParks’ head of communications.

One of the most affected areas is Kariba, whose large water body, Lake Kariba, attracts herds of elephants, thereby posing a great danger to the resort town’s inhabitants.

Five people were trampled to death by elephants in Kariba last year and there is growing animosity between residents and the wildlife authority ZimParks.

The family of 52-year-old man, Everson Tarehwa Safarawo, who was killed by an elephant on his way to work in April 2019 is still grief-stricken almost a year after the horrific incident that happened in the Baobab area of Kariba.

Safarawo is survived by a 36-year-old wife and two children who are both still in elementary school.

“Elephants have become the biggest threat to human life here in Kariba,” lamented Samu Muwawa, nephew to the late Safarawo.

Muwawa, who is also the outgoing chairperson of the Kariba Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association, also spoke about the need for a law that compels ZimParks to compensate fully people who are killed by wild animals.

“When one is killed by an animal, there’s no compensation at all from ZimParks because their argument is that there is no law that supports compensation. That is why there is animosity between the locals and ZimParks, people are saying ZimParks should do more to support families of those killed by animals,” said Muwawa, who lives in the Garikai area of Kariba.

“Members of Parliament must come up with policies and laws that compel ZimParks to protect people from wild animals and compensate families of those that are killed. We have children who are now fatherless because of animals, if you tell them about the need to conserve they will not listen to you.

“They view those animals as the source of their plight. We are being left with the burden of taking care of children left behind by the victims of these animals.”

While fishing is a major source of income for the majority in Kariba, given the town’s proximity to the lake, hundreds of people have lost their lives after being attacked by gigantic crocodiles which roam this huge water body.

Fortune Marukutira (39) lost his wife Nyarai Jingura on October 8, 2018.

Jingura, who was 36 at the time of her demise, was attacked by a crocodile whilst fishing and was dragged for about 15km before her decapitated body was discovered a day later.

“We found her without one leg, one arm and one breast missing,” a heartbroken Marukutira told this publication at his house in the Batonga area.

“My plea is for ZimParks to educate people on the dangers of crocodiles. There’s need for more awareness campaigns.”

Marukutira has been left in charge of his three children, Tinashe (12), Tinotenda (9) and Tifany (6).

“It’s a sad situation. Yes, we are aware of the need to protect animals because they attract tourists but they are also killing our people,” Marukutira said.

ZimParks senior wildlife officer for Kariba, Edward Madzvivanyika, acknowledges that there is a huge problem, but he feels in some instances, people are to blame.

“You find that most of the attacks happen at midnight. We are saying people should not walk at night and we are trying to engage the community because they are also part of the problem,” Madzivanyika said.

The ZimParks senior staffer also explained the sudden rise of elephant population in residential areas of Kariba.

“There has been low rainfall for the past two years so it means animals invade human settlements in search of both water and food. We have some homes with deciduous trees, these attract elephants. It’s all about survival.

“We acknowledge those problems but the way forward is to all accept there is a problem. If we know the problem we can then find a solution,” added Madzivanyika.

Baboons are also a menace in Kariba. They have become a headache for shop owners especially in the Mahombekombe area, who are constantly losing commodities such as bread to these animals.

In reaction, ZimParks has been capturing and trans-locating hundreds of baboons.

“Last year we captured about 300 baboons and translocated them to an area which is 45 kilometres away from Kariba town. But remember you also need resources to do all this,” Madzivanyika said.

Animal population management, especially the rising elephant numbers, have become a cause for concern not only for Zimbabwe but the whole of Southern Africa. The international community, especially Europe and the Americas, has not helped the situation either.

They are adamant elephants should not be culled or sold.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has also banned the sale of elephant products like ivory, leaving Southern Africa, the world’s largest elephant reserve, in a fix.

That is why leaders of Southern African nations, specifically from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe (who form the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Areas) are now speaking with one voice on the elephant issue, following successive elephant summits held in Kasane and Victoria Falls in 2019.

The major purpose was to find common ground on the way forward with regards to elephant management. Those summits also sought to establish ways in which communities living with elephants could benefit from animals, which are wreaking havoc and threatening their livelihood.