Hyena Kills Woman in Chipata

The Post (Lusaka)
July 8, 2004

Godfrey Chitalu
Chipata

A woman has been killed and several others injured after being attacked by a suspected rabid hyena at Simon village in Paramount Chief Mpezeni's area.

Ruth Phiri, in her late twenties, was attacked and killed by the beast which ripped her stomach open and seriously severed her head. The incident occurred on Monday around 16.00 hours at Simon village in full view of helpless villagers. The beast ran away after the act but returned later in the night around 23.00 hours.

One of the injured, Isaac Mwale confirmed that he wrestled with the beast using his bare hands after coming out of his hut in the night to check on what was happening outside when he heard his dogs barking continuously.

The hyena pounced on the unsuspecting Mwale who was only rescued by his young brother Jabes after he hit the beast with a big wooden stick but had his left leg mauled in the process.

At this stage, the beast ran away and hid in a nearby banana plantation. The ensuring screams and cries had already attracted the sleeping villagers.

Another villager Daniel Phiri who heard the screaming rushed to the scene to find out what was happening but was caught in the process and had his right hand which was holding an axe severed.

Phiri's screams awoke the whole village.

In the commotion, the hyena rampantly bit the confused villagers, leaving twenty people with multiple body injuries.

The rampaging hyena was only contained by a villager Emmanuel Phiri who killed it with a single bullet in the neck from a shotgun.

The villagers reported the matter to Zambia Wildlife Authority in Chipata who went to pick up the beast and took it to the veterinary Department for a series of tests.

According to Dr. George Chaka, a senior veterinary research officer, the hyena is highly suspected to have been in the final stages of rabies. He said under normal circumstances, wild animals stay away from people, no matter how vicious they are.

He advised the injured villagers to seek medical attention and do post-exposure rabid treatment as a safeguard.

The incident has shocked Chipata residents who are flocking to the veterinary office to have a look at the body of the hyena.