The ManicaPost
Freedom Mutanda Post Correspondent
For years, lions have failed to live side by side with man and unlike their cousins, the dog and the cat, lions have failed to integrate with humans all these years largely because the feline creatures are carnivorous and will never countenance man as their overload.
Man hunted for thousands of years and mingled with lions and other dangerous game. Stories have been told of how other hunters survived a lion by merely looking at it, those could be legends but the over-riding factor is that there was room for the two. Lions went to homes and raided cattle but it was not at most times since the forests gave the predator ample food.
Zimbabwe has conservancies that are mainly manned by the private sector.
The Save Conservancy immediately comes to mind. The big five, lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino are found there in huge numbers and because of that, poachers normally take the conservancies as a poacher’s paradise not appreciating that our children will blame us for failing to control our natural resources.
The government instituted the CAMPFIRE programme as a way of enabling the community to benefit from the game in their area.
For example, there is a thriving CAMPFIRE effort in Mahenye and other areas that are close to the Gona Rezhou Game Reserve and that is commendable.
Hard on the heels of the killing of Cecil the lion, international pressure has been mounting for a ban on game products and other related issues such as hunting which started in April and ends in October.
We are made to understand that the European Union is leading the lobby to ban hunting in Zimbabwe under CITES. This is economic blackmail that can’t be allowed to pass.
With each passing day, the man’s stranglehold on animals is loosening. According to the Bible, many years ago, God gave Adam the power to name the animals.
Thus we have “shumba’’ for the lion and many other fascinating animals which are never talked about. It means it is man who has control over animals but alas, events of the past years have shown a difference in the relationship.
Many lions hunt animals in the forest, man and his livestock resulting in a badly strained relationship.
It is made worse by the buffalo and elephant that leave a trail of destruction every time the two get into a field. Middle Sabi is a crop area and farmers have cried long and hard about the animal menace without any respite.
The surrounding communities have borne the brunt of stray animals but there seems to be no end in sight.
A buffalo gored a ZESA employee early this year and there were no measures taken to ensure that there would be no repeated killing.
Seeing that authorities were not taking lion presence seriously, it is argued that Chibuwe residents may have poisoned the lions that died instantly prompting the members of the Zimbabwe National Wildlife Department to go to Chibuwe to have awareness campaigns against poisoning lions in the community.
A community that had lost a number of livestock at the hands of the lions was unapologetic in its condemnation of the Parks officials.
“You now come to tell us that the poison used to kill the lions was out of this world but when our livestock were killed, you turned a blind eye. What is more important to you? Is it a man?†Siyapi Alec, posed that question to a loud cheer from the gathered audience who took their time to listen to the Parks officials who appealed for calm and help in finding the poison used.
The Parks officials were evasive on the answer to that question and the garrulous crowd could not be contained.
As long as the officials do not act quickly to solve an animal problem, they are unlikely to endanger themselves to the people.
Over the past month, Chipangayi Service Centre, which is in Middle Sabi, found itself in a cage surrounded by the feline creatures and the Parks officials did not take any visible action.
It is my considered view that they should carry out road shows or awareness campaigns within the communities alerting people of the presence of these lions and possible ways of tackling the menace.
A deathly silence from the parks officials is deafening. Go back to the Chibuwe saga when lions died because of a mysterious poison and you see a world of difference in the response.
In the high and low density areas of Chipangayi Service area it is alleged that about ten cattle have fallen victim to the marauding lions.
Reports say the lions have literally camped within the area and their roars are heard at night while lion spoors are seen at the site where an ox would have been mauled to death and devoured.
Parks officials are reluctant to comment on the alleged lion killings although the community is saying enough is enough.
Authorities have to act before the lions attack humans. Acting after some people have been attacked and killed is cruelty.
“They only act when a lion dies but they will be surprised if residents of this area act like they acted in Chibuwe. Some people say lions go back to the carcass they would have enjoyed a meal of and that’s when poison may be laced with the meat and that’s bad,†a member of the community who refused to be named, said.
Whatever the case may be, Chipangayi residents request the intervention of the National Parks officials for them to live without fear.
They contend that lions belong in the Conservancy and not in the Safari Area. The big five that include lions, are state property.
Trophy hunting brings forth foreign currency but it is important to balance the two realising the importance of man to the socio-economic and political development of the country.
For instance, the politician would like more people to be in the area as lions don’t vote but the economist thinks about the economic windfalls that come out of trophy hunting. Look at Cecil the lion’s debacle as many countries expressed disappointment at the tragic turn of events.
It remains to be seen on how the responsible authorities are going to act to protect the people from the animals.
To be or not to be. The age old rhetorical statement continues to haunt the authorities.
