The Gonde Primary School Grade Five pupil is admitted to
Plumtree District Hospital. He has a deep, hair-raising wound on his left hand.
Bulilima Rural District Council chief executive officer Mr
John Brown Ncube confirmed the attack which happened as Provident Ndlovu had
just left home for school.
“It was in the morning as the boy was going to school. His
grandmother says she heard some funny noise coming from the kraal and went to
investigate. The boy left the homestead for school but before he could go far,
he heard dogs barking and running in his direction. A hippopotamus emerged and
mauled his left hand just below the elbow,” he said.
She said the boy was saved by an elderly man who heard his
loud cry and rushed to scare away the beast. Bulilima RDC deployed a hunter to
track and kill the animal. Mr Ncube said the boy is lucky to have survived as
the wild animal could have killed him.
He said health officials at Plumtree Hospital advised that
there won’t be any need to amputate his hand, but that must be confirmed by an
expert in Bulawayo.
“The boy was taken to Madlambudzi Clinic before he was
transferred to Plumtree hospital. We visited him at the hospital and assisted
him to get some of the urgent medication that was needed like antibiotics. He
will be transferred to one of the central hospitals in Bulawayo but he is in a
stable condition,” he said.
Mr Ncube said there was human-wildlife conflict in the area
as a lot of animals are roaming in the villages.
He said the main problem was caused by villagers who stole
the 32,5km electric fence which was put by Government in the 1990s.
“The electric fence was connected to the Botswana boundary
and stretched up to Tsholotsho. It was about one thousand kilowatts and wild
animals never dared to come close. But our people were very irresponsible and
stole all the wire. Some of the stolen property can be seen in the villages.
This opened the flood gates for wild animals to roam all over and it is not a
good situation,” he said.
Mr Ncube said council is looking for partners who could
assist to put another electric fence so that the problem is addressed. He said
dangerous animals like buffaloes and lions are often spotted in the area as
well.
Mr Ncube said some wild animals come from as far as
Botswana and Tsholotsho. “We are trying to have a holistic approach to the
problem by also addressing the water situation for wild animals. We are working
on rehabilitating Maitengwe Dam so that wild animals have enough water. The dam
will also supply villagers through an irrigation scheme,” he said.
The CEO said although the hippopotamus was shot down there
is a possibility that there are others in the area. The boy’s grandmother, Mrs
Thandekile Ndebele said officials at Plumtree hospital said the schoolboy will
be transferred to Bulawayo to be seen by a specialist.
“This is a tragedy but I thank God for it could have been
worse than this. I have been told that he will be transferred to Bulawayo to be
seen by a specialist who will advise further,” she said.
“He is a son of my daughter who is in South Africa but she is struggling there. I informed her about what happened and she said she has no money to assist me. At the moment I really don’t know how much will be required but I don’t have any finances to meet the costs. I thank the Bulilima Rural District council for assisting me get the first medication,” she said.
The boy’s grandmother who can be reached on cell number
0782860796 appealed for assistance to meet the medical costs as she is the one
providing for his upkeep. Provident said he never saw where the hippopotamus
came from.
“I had just left home for school and I just heard my hand
being violently grabbed. I don’t know what happened after that. I just found
myself home in agony and my hand in excruciating pain and blood was all over,”
he said.
ZimParks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo did not respond to
questions that Chronicle sent to him on the matter. Chronicle
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