By Mary Taruvinga
A total of 18 people were killed in human-wildlife conflict during the first quarter of this year, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has revealed.
The authority also recorded 32 injuries during the same period.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said the number of livestock killed by wildlife had increased compared to last year.
“The Authority received 579 cases of human-wildlife conflict and managed to respond to all of them.
“Communities around the country have lost at least 53 cattle and 85 goats, showing a significant increase from 18 and 21, respectively, during the same period in 2024,” he said.
Districts mainly affected include Binga, Hwange, Kariba, Chiredzi, Hurungwe, Nyaminyami, and Mbire, among others.
ZimParks also translocated 129 animals back into the protected areas and eliminated 158.
Farawo said ZimParks is currently engaging in various community initiatives to ensure that those sharing boundaries with parks are aware of potential risks and are equipped with strategies to manage wildlife encounters effectively.
“ZimParks remains dedicated to fostering a harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife and our teams are tirelessly working to raise awareness about wildlife behaviours and effective preventive measures.
“We encourage communities to continue reporting incidents to ZimParks Problem Animal Control numbers listed below and local leadership, such as Councillors, Traditional Leaders and Rural District Council Authorities to ensure that we preserve lives,” he said.