Sad: Lion Kills Hurungwe Miner
By A Correspondent – A 44-year-old man from Hurungwe has died at Karoi District Hospital after being mauled by a lion while returning from illegal mining activities in the Zambezi escarpment, in a tragic incident that has shocked local communities.
The attack occurred at around 8pm on Wednesday, 15 April, in Chikede Village, Ward 9 of Hurungwe Rural District Council under Hurungwe North constituency.
In a statement, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) spokesperson Luckmore Safuli confirmed that Tinashe Tadzimigwa was walking home from Mkanga with other villagers when he was attacked by a lone lion.
“The deceased was walking home from Mkanga with other villagers when he was attacked by a lone, elderly lion,” Safuli said.
His companions reportedly managed to drive the animal away, but Tadzimigwa had already sustained severe abdominal injuries during the encounter.
He was rushed to Karoi District Hospital, approximately 70 kilometres away, where he later succumbed to his injuries at around 1.30pm on 16 April.
Villagers said the deceased had been part of illegal gold panning activities in the Mkanga and Jechenene Mountain areas, which fall within wildlife habitat zones where human-wildlife conflict is increasingly being reported.
Local resident Dickson Kabura described the incident as violent and unfortunate, saying, “The deceased fought relentlessly with the old lion, which is too old to hunt active prey. Help came too late.”
The incident has raised concerns over the dangers faced by illegal miners operating in protected wildlife areas, where encounters with dangerous animals remain a persistent risk.
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