Josphat
Mandishara, 62, a ranger with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management
Authority (ZimParks), was fatally attacked on Wednesday night while on patrol
in the remote Gatche-gatche area.
ZimParks said
in a statement that Mandishara was on duty with two colleagues and members of
the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) when he returned alone to their boat, which
was docked at a nearby harbour.
“Unfortunately,
during this short trip, he encountered a charged elephant that emerged
unexpectedly and fatally injured him,” the statement read.
His body was
taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and police were informed.
In response to
the incident, ZimParks said it had dispatched rangers from the Charara Safari
Area to “manage the problem animal”.
“The safety of
our staff and wildlife is our utmost priority, and we are committed to taking
the necessary measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” the
organisation said.
The death of
the experienced ranger has been met with sadness among conservationists.
ZimParks
Director General Prof Edson Gandiwa expressed “heartfelt condolences” to
Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues, saying he would be remembered for
his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.
Human-wildlife
conflict remains a serious challenge in Zimbabwe, where increasing interactions
between people and wild animals have led to numerous fatal encounters. CITE
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