Stray Elephants Kill One In Birchenough Bridge
A 30-year-old man from Birchenough Bridge was on 27 July trampled to death by two elephants believed to have strayed from the Save Conservancy.
Tinashe Farawo, the spokesperson for Zimbabwe National Parks (ZimParks), confirmed the death of Kudakwashe Mazarire after he was attacked by two stray elephants from the Save Conservancy.
Farawo told The Manica Post that ZimParks has since killed one of the elephants, but the one that was directly responsible for Mazarire’s death is still at large. He said:
I can confirm the death of Kudakwashe Mazarire of Birchenough Bridge after he was attacked by an elephant on his way to a meat-sharing event.
It was a rare attack in that he was killed by the elephant in the afternoon. Under normal circumstances, wild animals attack people during the night. This attack happened on July 27.
The elephant which killed Mazarire is yet to be found, and our officers are on the ground tracking it to kill it. The elephants were raiding crops in the Makazwei area.
Normally these animals escape during the drier season in search of food and water.
It often happens from September up until the advent of the rainy season.
As temperatures soar, they run to the rivers where it is cooler.
A Birchenough Bridge resident, Soyapai Sithole said they are now living in fear of being attacked by the marauding elephants. Said Sithole:
We are no longer safe because more wild animals are likely to escape from their conservancies in search of food due to this drought. Strangely, these animals are invading our area during winter.
They usually come out when it is hot and in most cases harmless because they will be looking for water.
Wildlife conflict is a significant issue in Zimbabwe, particularly in areas adjacent to national parks. This conflict often involves elephants, which can cause substantial damage to crops and property, and even pose a threat to human lives.
For instance, Hwange National Park is home to an elephant population that has grown to over 50,000, far exceeding the park’s ecological capacity.
This overpopulation has led to increased incidents of elephants straying into nearby communities, resulting in crop destruction and sometimes fatal encounters, as seen in the tragic case of Kudakwashe Mazarire.
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