HARARE, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Lions suspected to be from nearby sanctuaries have killed 35 cattle and an unconfirmed number of goats and donkeys near Zimbabwe's resort town of Victoria Falls in the last two months.
At least six villages in two wards have been severely affected by the marauding animals which are said to be attacking livestock before making their way back to the sanctuaries, The state media Herald newspaper reported Tuesday.
A headman in one of the villages, Jaheliduna Ndlovu, said that the lion attacks had left many people impoverished.
"A fortnight ago, lions killed eight cattle in one day and last Monday they killed five belonging to one villager," he said.
"Last December they killed 18 cattle from our area and the village head Zikhali's cattle were attacked in the grazing area," said Ndlovu.
He appealed for an urgent solution to the human-wildlife conflict.
"This is a situation which needs everyone's input. We once suggested that we set up scout teams that will be stationed in the community to protect livestock, but some stakeholders didn't buy the idea," he said.
Zimbabwe experiences several cases of human animal conflict, especially in areas which border game parks.
