A 44-year-old Hurungwe man died at Karoi District Hospital last Thursday, a day after being mauled by a lion while returning from illegal mining in the Zambezi escarpment, it has been learned.
The attack occurred around 8pm on Wednesday, April 15, in Chikede Village, Hurungwe Rural District Council Ward 9 under Hurungwe North constituency.
Tinashe Tadzimigwa was walking home from Mkanga with other villagers when a lone, aged lion attacked him, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) confirmed.
“His companions fought off the lion, but he sustained severe abdominal injuries,” ZimParks spokesperson Luckmore Safuli said in a statement.
Tadzimigwa was taken to Karoi District Hospital, nearly 70 kilometres away, but died from his injuries at 1:30pm on April 16.
“ZimParks expresses its deepest sadness and heartfelt condolences to the family,” Safuli said.
Safuli said human-wildlife conflict “remains a major challenge, particularly in areas adjacent to national parks,” adding that ZimParks is intensifying awareness campaigns and strengthening response mechanisms.
Villagers said Tadzimigwa was among illegal gold miners operating in the valleys around Mkanga and Jechenene Mountain, areas that also serve as wildlife habitats.
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“The deceased fought relentlessly with the old lion, which is too old to hunt active prey. Help came too late,” said Dickson Kabura, a local villager.
Sources said miners in the valley regularly encounter dangerous animals.
“Most have escaped death by a whisker while panning for gold,” one villager said.
The incident underscores growing conflict between marginalised communities and wildlife along the Zambezi escarpment.
