Elderly woman survives death by whisker as elephant destroys hut

A case of human-wildlife conflict has once again shaken Hwange District, where an elderly woman narrowly escaped harm after an elephant destroyed her kitchen hut in the early hours of Monday.

Gogo Ndlovu of Chidobe Village woke up to a scene of devastation after a rogue elephant invaded her homestead overnight, tearing down her kitchen structure while the family slept.

The incident highlights the increasing conflict between humans and wildlife in the area.

Elephants have become a menace in areas surrounding Victoria Falls and Hwange, destroying property and posing danger to humans in communities.

”I am shocked at what happened here, we did not hear anything when the elephant destroyed the hut as we were all asleep at night, we were woken up by our neighbour who came in the morning who came to tell us about the elephant’s movement at night which left a trail of distraction,” Gogo Ndlovu said.

Local leaders and residents in the area have appealed to relevant authorities for an intervention.

”We are facing a big problem in our district, as I speak there was another accident last night of an elephant which was hit by a car which has left us in shock.

“What happened to Gogo’s hut has shaken us as well, we appeal to the relevant authorities and government to assist us in the control of stray elephants which have caused us harm and destruction in our community,” Traditional leader, Headman Skinner Ndlovu said.

“Our community is not safe anymore for our residents, there has been increased elephant movement in our area which is hindering people from doing their day-to-day work, we call upon relevant authorities and the government to consider culling some elephants,” Ward 2 Chidobe Councillor, Bonginkosi Moyo said.

The number of cases of wild animals roaming around residential areas has been on the increase.

“Since last week, the movement of elephants has intensified within the communities. There is an accident that happened and people have highlighted that.

“The number of elephants has really ballooned to unprecedented levels within the country, specifically within Hwange. Last week, another one was also hit by also moving transport within the road. So it is something really that has been worrying residents and the community,” Campfire Manager for Hwange RDC, Nxolelani Ncube said.

Human-wildlife conflicts are an example of the consequences of an international embargo imposed on the trade in wildlife products and species in Southern Africa, which has seen Zimbabwe’s elephant population ballooning to more than 85 000, surpassing the country’s carrying capacity of 45 000.

ZBC