The ManicaPost
Abel Zhakata
Senior Reporter
THE New Year holiday was joyful for many families as it was punctuated with blissful merry-making and partying, but this was not so for a Chipinge woman and her three-month old baby who died after a vicious attack by a stray elephant.
The gory incident plunged villagers in Kushinga B, under Chief Musikavanhu, into mourning.
It also put to the fore the increasing incidence of human-wildlife conflict in the porous Save Conservancy.
As Shylet Muyambo (23) and her baby were enjoying a memorable time at her sister’s homestead on New Year’s Day, no one could have guessed that those would be the last moments for the pair.
As Muyambo walked back home around 6pm that night, a cheeky jumbo attacked her and the baby.
They both died on the spot.
The scene was a sorry sight as Muyambo had a deep wound on her stomach while her daughter, Remind Serengwana, suffered multiple fractures.
Acting Manicaland police spokesman, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed the incident which occurred on January 1, 2022 around 6pm.
A relative of the deceased who requested anonymity said Muyambo joined other family members for New Year festivities at her sister, Charity’s homestead, before disaster struck.
“She went back to her home just after 6pm and in no time we heard an elephant trumpeting. We rushed to check what was happening, only to see the two already dead.
“It is really painful. Villagers in this area are living in constant fear because of these frequent animal attacks. Wild animals are not only endangering human lives, but also destroying our crops and killing livestock. If it’s not an elephant attack then it’s a lion or buffalo attack.
“Zimparks must do something,” said the source.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said Shylet left home at round 7am with her baby strapped on her back.
“She visited her sister who resides in the same village for New Year celebrations.
“She spent the day there and decided to return to her home just before 6pm. With the baby strapped on her back, they came across an elephant which trampled them to death.
“Charity and her husband Simbarashe Khumbula heard the elephant trumpeting and rushed to the scene to investigate. Upon arrival they found Muyambo and her baby lying dead.
“A report was made to the police at Chisumbanje and the bodies were taken to St Peters mortuary for post mortem,” he said.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) spokesman Mr Tinashe Farawo said they quickly attended the scene.
“The area is overpopulated with elephants and this has resulted in the animals moving from the protected areas into communities either is search of food or in search of water.
“This results in contact with communities and in most cases this has resulted in fatalities like what happened on New Year’s Day.
“Due to the overpopulation of these animals, it’s not only people who are affected.
“ Livelihoods are also destroyed. There was a case some years back in the same area where a herd of about 400 buffalos invaded a wheat farm. Imagine the damage they caused.
“We need, as Zimparks, to relocate these animals to other places that have few of these species, but we don’t have the resources.
“The relocation of animals is an expensive process.
“We would have wanted a situation whereby we move animals from densely populated areas to safer ones like what we did in 2018 when we moved 100 elephants from Mutare to other parts of the country. That’s the long term solution.
“In the short term we are educating people about animal behaviour because this is helpful in events of confrontations.
“People must not provoke animals, we need to give them space and the time to move freely. Don’t interfere with their lives.
“Do not take selfies with these animals in the background. It’s dangerous because the animals will get irritated and attack you,” he said.
Mr Farawo also urged villagers in Chipangayi to stop vandalising the perimeter fences along the conservancy to minimise chances of animals straying.
