A man from the Mabaleni area under Chief Nelukoba in Dete, Hwange District, Matabeleland North Province, narrowly escaped death after being attacked by a hyena last Thursday evening.
The victim, Wiseman Ngozo, was ambushed by the wild animal around 8 PM while walking home.
According to his wife, Gloria Shoko, Ngozo sustained a fractured hand and a facial wound during the attack. She said:
The attack was reported to the Hwange Rural District Council, which has assisted him to get medication. He sustained a fracture on the hand and also a wound on the face.
He also complains of pain in his body, I think it’s because of the fight he had with the animal.
However, he is recovering. They have put a plaster on his hand.
He was bleeding profusely at the time he was taken to the hospital, and maybe that is why he is still weak.
Shoko expressed concern over the rising number of wild animals, including lions, roaming local communities in search of food and water.
Tinashe Farawo, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZIMPARKS), confirmed that the report has been received. Said Farawo:
Our problem remains that of overpopulation of wildlife, resulting in them spilling into communities.
We urge people to minimise walking at night because most of the attacks by animals happen at night and this is one of our campaigns to save lives.
According to ZIMPARKS, 18 people were killed, primarily by lions, hyenas, and crocodiles, in human-wildlife conflict incidents across Zimbabwe during the first quarter of 2025.
The authority also reported 32 injuries, along with the deaths of 53 cattle and 85 goats during the same period.
In comparison, Zimbabwe recorded 15 human fatalities and 43 injuries in the first quarter of 2024.
More: Southern Eye
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