Hyenas destroy crops, irrigation equipment in Katete District

A clan of hyenas has destroyed irrigation equipment and farm produce belonging to farmers along the Katete River in Katete District in Eastern Province.

However, the National Parks and Wildlife Department has since gunned down one of the seven clan members that have been terrorizing farmers in the area.

Speaking after the gunning down of the beast, Katete District National Parks and Wildlife In-Charge, Chilenga Nkhoma, has called on the community to be on high alert as wild animals have the capacity to kill both human beings and livestock.

 “They were seven clan members, we shot this one dead but another one sustained gunshot wounds and is on the loose with the five others. Let your hearts be at peace. In the past, the hyena population was small but now they have multiplied and food is not enough,” he said.

 “So let children be on the alert, let them not move about when it’s late, wild animals are dangerous, they kill people,” he said.

Meanwhile, a farmer Judith Phiri whose irrigation equipment worth K 5000.00 was destroyed by the hyenas, said since she settled at the farm in 1971, she never encountered hyenas until this year.

“These hyenas have troubled us, they have destroyed our irrigation pipes worth K 5000.00. We have been settled here at the farm for a long time and we have never encountered hyenas until now,” she said.

Ms Phiri was happy that at least one of the clan members was gunned down and was hopeful that the rest of the members will also be dealt with.

And, a Forestry Officer Maliseni Mwale narrated how the Hyenas would threaten to attack them resulting in failure to effectively execute their works during patrols.

“We encounter hyenas during our patrols. Sometimes they behave like they are about to attack us and at the end of the day we fail to effectively deliver our work,” he said.