The ManicaPost
Freedom Mutanda Post Correspondent
A CHIBUWE man in Chipinge’s heroics saved three members of the same family from death after killing a leopard that had attacked them recently.
Mr Mubonani Munyadza Mahachi killed the two and half year old leopard with his machete after it had attacked a pregnant woman, Ms Tamary Mapuranga (30) together with her two children at Taguta Farm in Middle Sabi.
Although police were not readily available for a comment, village head, Mr Phineas Mutorwa, said the young boy, Ebenezer Mapuranga (11) was the first one to be attacked by the leopard as it went for his throat.
“Her mother bravely fought back and struck the cat on the belly with a kitchen knife. “The leopard lunged at her and clawed her bottom. “As the two grappled, Ebenezer wailed for help.
“Mahachi heard the boy’s distress call and rushed to the scene armed with his machete.
“He struck the leopard’s nose bridge and felled it. “He went astride it before it heaved him up and threw him a distance away.
“As it leapt at him for the final kill, he caught it in mid air with his machete and killed it,” said Mr Mutorwa.
Rangers from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife who also attended the scene confirmed the incident, but referred further questions to their head office in Harare.
Meanwhile, Department of National Parks and Wildlife rangers last Saturday killed a three-year-old lion in Bangwe Village of Chipinge after it had killed a cow and goats in the area during the course of the week.
An octogenarian, Mrs Muruwa who lives alone, lost three goats to the lion last Thursday night. The previous day, Mr Jairos Murepa, had lost livestock to the lion.
National Parks rangers were alerted and quickly responded.
“They came and ambushed the lion. They stayed in the goat pen until the wee hours of the morning.
“The lion came and advanced to within a metre from them. It went away briefly before they hit it with chilling accuracy.
“It ran for about 100m and they only discovered that it had died when it was daybreak,” said a villager who refused to be named.
A wildlife expert, Mr Prosper Sigauke, said people should do the basics in terms of adhering to the demands of the parks officials.
“People must not consume all the meat of a carcass of a prey killed by a lion. “That leaves the national parks rangers with a Herculean task of setting up a blind.
“Moreover, all livestock have to be properly secured in a kraal or pen. “Lions find it easy to attack livestock that are roaming around,” he said.
As the human and wildlife conflict continue to dog the Chibuwe community, the Bundwa family found a huge crocodile in their yard last week. Rangers captured it.
Councillors Mpahla and Mugidho urged people to liaise with Government officials in order to curb the menace.
