A 30-year-old female security guard succumbed to injuries sustained when she was attacked by an elephant while at work in Hwange on Friday.
According to a report by The Sunday News, Lydia Dube was pronounced dead on arrival at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo on Saturday after being transferred from Hwange Colliery Hospital.
The killer elephant has since been put down by Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management (Zimparks) rangers.
The Sunday News reported a source as saying Dube who was employed as a security guard was on duty where she was guarding a broken down crane at Chaba Mine. Said the source:
She saw an elephant a distance away and disembarked from the machine she was guarding to go to the guard room.
Unbeknown to her, there was an elephant lurking behind her that attacked her before she got to the guard room leaving her for dead.
She was discovered still alive but seriously injured.
Dube was reportedly rushed to Hwange Colliery Hospital where her condition deteriorated before being transferred to Mpilo where she succumbed to the injuries on arrival.
Greater Whange Residents Trust (GWRT) programmes officer, Sithembinkosi Ndhlovu said they have engaged Zimparks on several occasions. She said:
We have engaged Zimparks several times and there has been conflict on who should be controlling the animals.
Zimparks says it’s a private area belonging to Colliery but now we don’t know if it has the capacity to handle the issue.
Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the incident calling it unfortunate and sad.
More: Pindula News