Kariba woman killed by an elephant while walking on her way to church yesterday
A KARIBA woman was yesterday morning trampled to death by an elephant while walking from Heights to Mahombekombe on her way to church.
The woman was in the company of her child and niece when the elephant appeared near the Heights Y Junction, cornering the trio before she fled, but the elephant caught up with her.
After the attack, the two companions and several well-wishers scrambled down the hill, where they found her body littered with scars.
Community members and the local authority took her remains to Kariba Hospital mortuary.
Kariba Urban Residents Association spokesperson Samson Coffee said the community was hurt by human-wildlife conflicts, where people are losing their lives.
“We understand Kariba is an animal-infested area, so we must exercise caution, but sometimes we have no choice because transport to the relevant destinations is unavailable. We are hurt for losing such an important and decision-making person in the health sector in Kariba,” he said.
In a separate tragedy, a man was attacked by a crocodile while fishing on Friday at Muchenga Fishing Camp in Gache Gache, rural Kariba.
The man, whose name has not yet been released, was dragged from his dinghy into the water.
Search efforts are continuing, with the community, police and ZimParks teams working together to locate him.
Gache Gache Fishing Camp chairperson Tichaona Manzungu said the community was heartbroken by the incident.
“He was a dedicated fisherman who loved the lake and to lose him to a crocodile in the very waters he trusted is a tragedy for the whole community,” he said.
“Our thoughts are with his family and we urge anyone who saw anything unusual to come forward so we can prevent further loss.”
Human elephant-conflict is a growing concern in Zimbabwe, with the IUCN recording 84 incidents between 2010 and 2019, resulting in 22 fatalities.
Crocodile attacks also pose a significant risk along Lake Kariba, where the water body hosts large Nile crocodile populations.
