By Upenyu Silent Chaota
Masvingo Beef Producers’ Association (MBPA) has handed a petition to the Provincial Adminstrator (PA) Felix Chikovo today (Friday) demanding the government’s intervention in controlling crocodiles terrorizing the Mazare community.
The chairperson of MBPA Robert Makado said the government was responsible for all wild animals attacking domesticated animals and people in Masvingo. He said the victims including relatives of the young boy who was killed by crocodiles this week no longer had confidence in the department of National Parks and Wildlife Management.
In a letter directed to the PA dated 20 February 2015, the association expressed disappointment over the way in which the National Parks handled wild animals especially crocodiles, lions and hyenas in Masvingo.
“Our major obstacle is the way in which the National Parks and Wildlife Management’s response to the carnivorous wild animals which includes lions, hyenas, leopards and crocodiles which have created havoc throughout the province”, part of the letter reads.
Robert Makado
The association postulates that over 40 herds of cattle worth a whopping $20 000 have been killed by crocodiles alone which habitat the pools of upper Mutirikwi river in the Mazare area.
The letter also addresses the notion that the outbreak of these wild animals has led to the outbreak of rabies in livestock emanating from hyenas and jackals.
“Even the department of Veterinary services is overburdened by the poor actions of national parks through the costly control of rabies spread by the roaming hyenas and jackals. The Summerton are of Masvingo district has lost a number of herds of cattle from the disease”, confirmed the letter.
The letter addressed that areas like Chartsworths, some parts of Gutu, Mashava and Gunikuni areas of Masvingo district have large groups of hyenas feeding on the local communities’ livestock both big and small.
Communities along the Save valley conservancy of Bikita district are said to be losing a big number of cattle to lions coming from the conservancy.
Masvingo beef producers wants the people who lost their livestock to these wild animals to be compensated.
“We wish the government intervenes so that it awakens the department of National parks. They need to make decisions which balances game keeping and defending the masses not being ineffective, shocking, lazy, misguided and retrogressive they have been thus far”, concludes the letter.Local
