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Zimbabwe: Stray Jumbos Cause Havoc
The Herald
25 December 2009

Harare — A HERD of nearly 30 elephant straying from the adjacent Save Valley Conservancy have destroyed homes and crops in Dzoro communal lands on the border between Zaka and Chiredzi.

The elephants reportedly destroyed dozens of homes and vast tracts of the early-planted maize crop causing widespread fear amongst impoverished villagers allocated land in the area under land reform.

Some of the hit villagers who spoke to The Herald have called on the authorities to intervene and contain the rampaging jumbos.

"The elephants have been terrorising us for the past three to four years and every year they destroy our homes in search of food," said Mr Tinos Ruzete from Dzoro.

"At the moment there are scores of people whose homes were destroyed and we really do not know what to do with these elephants that we suspect are roaming free from Save Valley Conservancy, which borders the area."

Mr Ruzete said there was need for the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to come up with a permanent solution to end the destruction caused by the elephants over the past three years.

He said most people in the province were allocated land in elephant territory and something should be done to avert continued loss of property and crops to these marauding animals. Another villager, Mr Peter Mandiki, expressed fears that most of the affected farmers might not produce enough food to sustain themselves if the elephants continue to destroy their crops.
"We might actually need food assistance if the elephants continue to destroy our crops because seed is hard to come by, what will we do if the elephants continue to be on the prowl," said Mr Mandiki.

Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Public Relations Manager Ms Caroline-Washaya Moyo could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Last year, villagers in the area bore the brunt of the rampaging elephants, which again destroyed homes and crops after breaking the perimeter fence of the adjacent Save Valley Conservancy, which is home to hundreds of elephants.

Part of the perimeter fence around Save Valley Conservancy was also destroyed by poachers giving elephants and other wild animals free reign to encroach into villages close to the conservancy.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200912280525.html

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John aka NitroX

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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
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