The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) was on Tuesday forced to temporarily close access to the Victoria Falls Rainforest after an elephant was spotted roaming the area, prompting authorities to take precautionary measures to protect visitors and staff.
ZimParks said the temporary restriction was aimed at preventing human-wildlife conflict while wildlife officers monitored the animal's movements.
"The restriction was instituted as a precautionary measure to safeguard visitors, staff and wildlife while minimising the risk of human-wildlife conflict. ZimParks teams are closely monitoring the situation and will inform the public once the site is safe to reopen," the authority said.
ZimParks urged members of the public to avoid the restricted area and warned against approaching the elephant or interfering with wildlife management operations.
"All visitors and tour operators are advised to strictly comply with instructions issued by ZimParks personnel and other site authorities," the authority said.
The wildlife authority said further updates would be communicated through its official channels once the situation had been resolved.
The temporary closure comes as wildlife authorities continue to manage increasing cases of human-wildlife interaction in areas bordering protected parks, where elephants and other wild animals occasionally stray into public spaces.
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