BULAWAYO’S Ward 4 councillor Silas Chigora yesterday condemned the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks) decision to suspend its 24-hour search for the mysterious lion saying it had increased anxiety among residents, especially following reports of another sighting in Fortunes Gate on Tuesday night. JUNIOR MOYO OWN CORRESPONDENT
Ward 4 covers Riverside, Waterford, Douglasdale, Burnside and Hope Fountain where the lion was reportedly sighted. Chigora told Southern Eye that residents could not rest until the lion was found as they believed it was still roaming in the suburban areas.
“We are not happy with Zimparks’ decision to wind up the search for the lion because people’s lives are at risk at the moment as reports say it was spotted along Riverside Road on Tuesday night,” said Chigora.
“We will not rest until the lion is found as there is proof that the lion is still around. Not more than four people can lie about the same thing.”
He accused Zimparks of handling the mystery lion saga lightly from the beginning leaving residents without first-hand information and forcing them to rely on conflicting press reports.
“From the start the Zimparks people should have gone to the areas where the lion was spotted to do a thorough awareness campaign on what residents should do in case they encountered the lion, especially in schools.
“They should have distributed flyers stating who to consult in case of emergency because as we speak no one knew the contact details of Zimparks Bulawayo until they were revealed in the press recently. Beside that, not everyone has access to newspapers to get such important information,” he said.
Chigora said Zimparks cannot abandon the search because the lion has not been found and it may end up killing humans since there is no game in the area it has reportedly been sighted.
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“We urge Zimparks to continue the search for the lion until it is found. As Ward 4 residents, we cannot be misled by a traditional healer from Gwabalanda saying a real lion is a spirit because we don’t want to take a risk and prove its existence through dead people.”
Traditional healer David Muhabhinyane Ngwenya warned that the mystery lion could be a spirit as there was no concrete proof of its existence to date.
Contacted for comment, however, Zimparks public relations manager Caroline Washaya-Moyo said they were sticking to their last statement.
“We are winding up the search,” Washaya-Moyo said.
