Staff writer
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) say 18 people were killed while 32 were injured in human and wildlife conflict since January 2025.
“Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) has recorded 18 deaths and 32 injuries during the first quarter of 2025,” said Zimparks spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo.
“The authority received 579 cases of human-wildlife conflict and managed to respond to all of them,” he said.
Farawo added:
“Communities around the country have lost at least 53 cattle and 85 goats, showing a significant increase from 18 and 21 percent respectively during the same period in 2024.The authority has translocated 129 animals back into protected areas and have eliminated 158.”
Farawo said Zimparks is holding awareness campaigns in communities sharing boundaries with parks so that they are equipped with strategies on how to manage wildlife.
“We are also actively engaging in various communities to ensure that those sharing boundaries with parks are aware of potential risks and are equipped with strategies to manage wildlife encounters effectively.
He added:
“The districts most significantly impacted by these incidents include Binga, Hwange, Kariba, Chiredzi, Hurungwe, Nyaminyami, among others.”
Farawo said Zimparks is committed in ensuring a harmonious co-existence between humans and wildlife.
“Zimparks remains dedicated to fostering a harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife and our teams are tirelessly working to raise awareness about wildlife behaviour and effective preventive measures.
“We encourage communities to continue reporting incidents to Zimparks Problem Animal Control numbers and local leadership such councilors, traditional leaders and rural district council authorities to ensure that we preserve lives.”