Hyenas attacking livestock in Mberengwa South

Zim Now Writer

Marauding hyenas have decimated livestock in Ward 37 of Mberengwa District in the Midlands Province with villagers incurring heavy losses of donkeys, goats, sheep and calves.

The most affected areas are villages, Nungirai, Chivasa, Pararai and around Gwai Primary School, Makwava Primary, Chapungu Secondary and Mundi-Mataga Dam area under Chief Chingoma.

“These hyenas are surely causing a headache to us as villagers. Goats, sheep and donkeys are at the mercy of these animals. We have never had them in such a big number. This time there are many and are sure to leave us poorer and hungry as donkeys form part of our draught power. They haven’t attacked people but fears are that they may pounce on children and those that may be travelling to catch buses at dawn,” said one villager.

The villagers said they suspected the hyenas, which are breeding at a very high scale as some have been seen with puppies, came from farms in the Sovelele area in Mwenezi and Makhado into Mberengwa.

House of Assembly Member for Mberengwa South Cde Tasara Hungwe said the hyenas have become a menace in his constituency going even further into Mberegwa West where they were also troubling villagers around Masase High School, adding that they had engaged Zimparks for assistance in dealing with the problem and the teams are in the area.

“The hyenas have been a problem for some time but now the issue has escalated as people are losing livestock almost on a daily basis and people are even scared for their lives at this point. We have engaged the Zimparks team and we hope they can do something to scare them away because people’s livestock are at risk,” said Hungwe.

He advised people under Chief Chogoma not to walk at dawn and dusk as chances of attack by hyenas were high.