BINGA — Five men from Nsenga area, who took the law into their hands and ensnared a lion which had killed their livestock, were lucky to escape a custodial sentence yesterday.
STAFF REPORTER
They were each sentenced to 24 months in prison which was wholly suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
Mackson Kafuka Mugande (53), David Siadunti Munkuli (56), Timothy Zigamba Munsaka (50), Peter Munkuli (49) and Diamon Siakanje Sibanda (60) had pleaded guilty to contravening the Trapping of Animals Control Act when they appeared before Binga resident magistrate Stephen Ndlovu yesterday.
The five were not asked to pay any restitution to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife as the magistrate said they would not be able to raise the money. The lion was valued at $20 000.
Prosecutor David Never Shiku told the court that on February 9, the five teamed up and set wire snares close to the bush in their area. They placed a calf as a bait to lure the lions at a makeshift kraal they had erected close to the snares.
It is the State case that the following day they went to the place and found two lions trapped.
One of them alerted the police and National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers.
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The rangers went to the scene and found the carcass of the lion that had remained trapped while the other one had broken loose and escaped.
This led to the arrest of the five.
When asked in court why they set snares, the five said the carnivores were killing their livestock and posing a serious danger to the lives of the villagers in the area.
They said they reported the matter to parks, but nothing was done to protect them and their livestock from the dangerous animals.
