Vic Falls residents feast on problem jumbo

VICTORIA Falls residents on Thursday jostled to have a piece of elephant meat after Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife (Zimparks) officials killed one of the three elephants that had been causing havoc in the resort town.

Zimparks officers battled to maintain order as more than 500 residents in Mkhosana suburb scrambled to get a glimpse of the problem elephant when it was being killed.

Some residents left without a piece of the game meat , but others went home with bags full of venison.

Elephants have been causing havoc in Victoria Falls with residents’ properties like tuck-shops, walls, taps, water meters and pipes being destroyed on a regular basis.

During a meeting held in Mkhosana on Wednesday, residents complained that Zimparks officials were not taking action against the problem animals.

“At least they are taking action now by killing this elephant,” Clement Ndlovu, one of the residents who helped National Parks officers skin the elephant, said. “We hope that it would scare other elephants away because elephants have destroyed our property.”

Another resident, Dion Matonga, said killing one elephant would not make much difference and Zimparks should have killed all three elephants that had been causing havoc in residential areas.

“Zimparks benefit even when they kill these elephants. They get the skin and tusk so they should kill these jumbos,” Matonga said.

Source: Vic Falls residents feast on problem jumbo (27/07/15)