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| Bikita East legislator Johnson Madhuku |
Believe Mpofu
The Bikita community and the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) have come to the negotiating table after stray wild animals from the Save Valley Conservancy have terrorized the community destroying crops and livestock.
Stray wild animals including elephants, lions, buffalos, antelopes and hippos have been terrorizing Bikita’s Wards 24 and 25 with the community calling for a lasting solution to the problem.
Bikita East legislator, Johnson Madhuku, said the meeting was necessitated by the need to find solutions to the crisis that was affecting Bikita emanating from the wildlife presence in the community before the conflict claims lives.
It was noted that wild animals were escaping from Save Valley Conservancy because of a porous security fence.
“In the meeting we agreed that a community on conservancy management fence will be set up to manage and repair the boundary fence.
“Parks is set to carry out programmes to teach communities on how to handle or scare away wild animals from their fields as well as protect their cattle at night,” said Madhuku
Madhuku said the Budzi people were going to be funded on their projects like irrigation since the little they had cultivated were getting destroyed by the wild animals.
“One of the worrisome issues raised was incapacitation of Zimparks. They don’t have vehicles so they are immobile and when requested to come to the rescue of villagers from these dangerous wild animals, they rely on well-wishers including conservancy operators and local MPs, ’’ said Madhuku.
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