Thirteen (13) stray elephants were spotted on Saturday morning at Ruchanyu resettlement in Shurugwi South and a local official has warned residents to stay clear of the mammoth beasts as they can get easily upset.
District Development Co-ordinator (DDC) Romeo Shangwa said they have since alerted the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) about the stray jumbos. Said Shangwa:
These thirteen elephants are at Ruchanyu and I have phoned and alerted the Department of National parks.
They said that they have no transport and we are making a plan to go and collect them.
I urge the community in areas like Gakaka, Ruchanyu and Marishongwe to stay clear of these animals as they easily get agitated and can be dangerous.
Zimparks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo recently said they are anticipating an increase in more human-wildlife cases as the dry season approaches.
He said there is often a surge in human-wildlife conflicts during the dry season as wild animals invade settlements in search of food.
Farawo was speaking soon after two people were killed while two others were seriously injured after being trampled by a stray elephant in Chitekete in the Gokwe North District.