one of the hippos was killed |
A SUSPECTED border jumper was fatally attacked by two
hippopotamuses while trying to illegally cross into South Africa through an
undesignated entry point along the Limpopo River.
The incident, which occurred last week came barely four
months after a member of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) was killed by the
semi-aquatic mammals while on border patrol on the banks of the Limpopo River.
The latest incident brings to four the number of people
killed by hippopotamuses in Beitbridge since the beginning of the year. The
victim who was not identified died upon admission to Beitbridge District
Hospital.
In a statement, the Municipality of Beitbridge confirmed
the attack which occurred last Friday, saying the killer animals have since
been gunned down.
“Two hippos were gunned down in Limpopo River (after)
having injured an individual suspected to be a border jumper in the early hours
of Friday. The injured individual is said to have passed on later at the
Beitbridge District Hospital. This is the fourth such incident in the border town
this year alone,” said the council.
The council warned people against using undesignated entry
points as they risked being attacked by hippos.
“As the Municipality of Beitbridge, we are really concerned
about the loss of life as we continue to face this human-wildlife conflict,”
the council added.
In July, the soldier, identified as Pelious Moyo from
Tongwe in Beitbridge district, was attacked by hippos while on patrol and he
was pronounced dead on arrival at Beitbridge District Hospital.
Moyo was part of soldiers deployed at a checkpoint between
Zimbabwe and South Africa. He was attacked at dawn as the hippo was headed to
the river from grazing.
In the last four years, officials said at least seven
people, including a 12-year-old, have been killed by hippos in the area.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks)
rangers also shot and killed the hippos which had unleashed a reign of terror
on residents and security personnel on patrol along the Limpopo River.
Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed yesterday
the latest incident and urged people to stay away from water bodies.
“It is common cause that when wildlife animals are
overpopulated it results in a conflict between humans and wildlife.
“Usually when such occurrences happen, we put down these
animals and that is what happened to these two hippos which have been
terrorising people along the Limpopo River. We also urge people to stay away
from water bodies to avoid unnecessary deaths,” he said.
Mr Farawo said since January, they recorded 32 deaths
related to human-wildlife conflicts countrywide.
He encouraged members of the community to urgently report
to Zimparks any problem animals.
Wild animals, especially elephants and hyenas, have become
a menace in Beitbridge district, especially during the cropping season.
Elephants destroy crops and trample on humans while hyenas target livestock.
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