A fishing expedition for two Kwekwe men ended in tragedy last Saturday after the canoe they were using at Dutchman’s Pool Dam reservoirs capsized following an attack by a hippopotamus, leading to the death of one.
The now deceased Ndumiso Nyamuzana of Mbizo surbub, whose age at time of death could not be immediately ascertained, was in the company of his friend Emmanuel Moyo when tragedy struck, police authorities confirmed.
According to Midlands provincial police spokesperson Joel Goko, the late Nyamuzana and Moyo were casting their fishing nets, while canoeing.
When the hippo gorily launched the attack, reports say the canoe capsized killing Nyamuzana instantly.
Luckily, Goko revealed, Moyo who miraculously survived the vicious attack, managed to swim to safety and was rushed to Kwekwe General Hospital for medical attention after sustaining injuries from the hippo attack.
Human and wildlife conflicts are markedly on the increase in Zimbabwe and national statistics indicate that more people have been killed by wild animals than those who have succumbed to the novel coronavirus, thus far.
The landlocked southern African nation of roughly 15 million, has recorded more than five human-wildlife conflict deaths since January this year.
In 2019, a cumulative number of 36 people were killed by wild animals countrywide, up from 20 the previous year.
Hippos, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, lions and rhinoceros constitute the six animal species categorised as dangerous animals in the country.
midlandsnews
Additional Reporting: Zwnews
