VILLAGERS in Tsholotsho North are living in fear of hungry elephants that are invading their communities and destroying property in their desperate search of food and water.
Tsholotsho North legislator Libion Sibanda said the jumbos were terrorising villagers in his constituency.
“We have a challenge in our area as people are now afraid to move freely, especially at night because of elephants,” Sibanda said.
“The wards mostly affected are 7, 8 and 21.”
Sibanda alleged that Tsholotsho Rural District Council (RDC) rangers appeared overwhelmed to drive away the animals.
“We appeal to Tsholotsho RDC to find a way to drive away the elephants from the community back to the national parks for the safety of our lives as villagers,” he said.
Tsholotsho ward 8 councillor Jazz Sibanda said learners sometimes missed lessons when jumbos invaded the area.
Tsholotsho RDC chairperson Rophas Ndlovu said they were employing problematic animal control tactics to deal with the rampaging elephants.
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“Through our programme, we have been able to drive some elephants to the national park,” he said.
“We managed to kill two elephants and the meat was distributed among the affected community.”
Ndlovu said some of the elephants were coming from as far as Botswana.
Government recently revealed plans to cull 200 elephants as part of efforts to tackle the country’s ballooning jumbo population.
According to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, the country’s elephant population has risen to over 90 000, more than twice the 45 000 it can sustain, a situation that has resulted in recurring cases of human-animal conflict.
The increase in the jumbo population has been blamed on the ban on culling following the imposition of a ban by of the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species on global ivory trade.
