Mberengwa villagers living at the mercy of hyenas

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…as families lose donkeys and goats to scavengers every night

_{^{Zimbabwe Observer Reporter in Mberengwa}}

The spotted hyena also known as laughing hyena, is a carnivorous mammal.

All is not well in Mberengwa where marauding hyenas are feasting on the villagers’ donkeys and goats every night.

So dire is the situation in Chief Chingoma’s ward 37 that residents have to be behind their locked gated homes before sun set for fear of being attacked and eaten up by the nocturnal scavengers.

The terrifying laughs of foraging hyenas tear through the quiet nights every day, much to the distress of villagers who spend their twilights on their toes for fear of being eaten in their sleep. Wild howling of dogs during the wee hours of every morning in the villages heralds the raccoons’ fatal visits to villagers’ kraals. This is usually followed by the bleating of goats and brazing of donkeys as they fight for survival under the mighty biting force of the daring carnivorous mammals.

One Dube family lost a calf and two donkeys within a month.

“Madeko kune rimwe dongi rakadyiwa nebere kwa gogo my Pretty, saka tiri kuda kuisa report kuneve National Parks yakakwana,” complained one villager in a family WhatsApp Group which Zimbabwe Observer has access to.

A teacher in the village, Moses Dube told Zimbabwe Observer, last night that hyenas were becoming daily features in his area adding that families were losing their livestock every day.

***This donkey sustained deep injuries after being attacked***

“I never imagined even in my wildest dreams that life could be this dangerous in our village. We don’t feel safe at home,” complained Dube, a headmaster at a local school.

Two calves were yesterday rescued in Pararai village just after sunset when passers-by scared the hyenas with a flashlight.

“It was after 1700 hours when hyenas attacked calves yesterday at Baba Kudzai’s kraal, a few metres from us and we had to frighten them by making noise and torching them,” said one villager who declined to identify himself.

Mayor Hove from Vangowa area near Gwai School lost two donkeys to the hyenas this week further deepening panic among the villagers.

***Another donkey owned by Sheu Mayor Hove also took deep bites form the hyenas, but survived***

Some animals are limping with deep wounds after surviving the blood attacks of the scroungers.

Another villager, Senzani Pavazhira, whose home is next to Imbahuru Mountain, made dreadful disclosures of how she heard leopards bellowing from the mountain.

The human eating vertebrates are sneaking from the nearby Sovelele Settlement where land grabbers damaged the fence during farm invasions.

Mberengwa South MP Tasara Hungwe was alerted of Hyena attacks during a heated discussion at 03 South WhatsApp Group, where the legislator is a member. Hungwe told Zimbabwe Observer that he was not aware of the problem.

“Pamwe pacho zvinoita sekuti handina hanya but I am 5 km away but ndisingazivi. Nezuro ndakapfuura paGwai handina kumbohwa nyaya yacho,” said the local MP, Hungwe.

Zimbabwe Observer, contacted the Spokesman of National Parks Tinashe Farawo, who promised to immediately dispatch a team to Mberengwa to capture or poison the hyenas.

“Now that you informed us, I will instruct the regional manager who covers Mberengwa to immediately send a team to assist,” said Farawo. “We won’t ignore such a request because it is our responsibility to get rid of dangerous animals from areas inhabited by people.”

Farawo added that MPs should take the lead in alerting the relevant arms of the government about such problems in their constituencies than waiting for the media to tell National Parks.

“All MPs should know where to find us and who is your MP who doesn’t know our offices in Harare? And people must contact us directly on this number (0712734405) instead of going to Zimbabwe Observer,” said Farawo.