Village heads in the dock for killing lion

Zim Now Writer

Two Dete village heads were sentenced to 12 months in prison for killing a lion with a wire snare, with the court also ordering the two to compensate the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority an amount of US$20 000.

The two, Elias Nyoni, 51, and Zenzo Ndlovu, 47, are said to have set a class one wire snare to trap a lion.

Police investigations revealed that suspicions arose when the lion’s collar tracking signal seemed stationary for a long period, leading to authorities attending the scene where they found a donkey carcass together with a class one wire snare with lion fur.

In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe said investigations led to the location of the accused persons.

The two, who were found guilty of the offence, are alleged to have led police to the recovery of the collar tracker and class one wire snare used to trap the lion, game meat and 16 lion claws.

Six months of their sentence was suspended for 5 years and they were ordered to compensate ZimParks for damages.