Wild animals force Mbire learners out of school

Zim Now Writer

The prevalence of wild animals in the Kanyemba area of Mbire District in Mashonaland Central Province have forced several learners to stop going to school, fearing attacks.

The area is located on the southern bank of the Zambezi River where the Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia borders meet.

One parent from the Chapoto area of Kanyemba, Farirai Majaya, said they would rather keep their children at home rather than put them at the risk of wild animal attacks by sending them to school.

“When they go to school, we are not guaranteed that they will arrive safely or they will be able to come back alive.

“There is always that risk that they will encounter wild animals along the way and we can’t risk losing our children.

“We know they deserve a better future, but the risk of sending them to school is just something we can’t afford,” he said.

Most children abandon school, especially during the rainy and harvesting season because they fear attacks from wild animals.

Of the 300 learners enrolled at Mariga Primary School, about half of that number are not attending school regularly.

The worst affected areas are Mariga and Chiramba villages in Kanyemba’s Ward 1, according to Village head Clever Kaputi.

The cases also extend to areas such as Kariba, Siakobvu, Binga and Hwange.

Two years ago, there were cases of hyena attacks were recorded in Buhera, Manicaland Province and some of the victims were school children.

As such, there is need to consider policies and actions that respect traditional wildlife habitats, migration zones and pathways.

Human settlements must not continue to encroach into wildlife areas.

The Parks and Wildlife Act classifies lions, elephants, hippos, leopards, buffaloes and rhinoceros as dangerous animals.

In 2022, human-wildlife conflict led to the death of 66 people compared to 68 in 2021, statistics from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority show.