CHIPINGE – A 23-year-old Zimbabwean mother and her three-month-old baby were trampled to death by an elephant in the south-eastern region of the country on New Year’s day.
According to Zimbabwean local media, the elephant has since been put down.
According to reports, human-wildlife conflict is common in some rural parts of Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority says resource competition between growing human and wildlife populations is a major cause of the human-wildlife conflict.
According to Zimbabwean local media, owing to population growth, humans are now encroaching on the wildlife territories, some have destroyed security infrastructure within the national game reserves hence animals can now stray into villages easily.
It is unfortunate that a 23 year old Chipinge woman and her three months old child were trampled to death by an elephant on New Year. @Zimparks reacted to the problem elephant.
— Tinashe Farawo (@FarawoTinashe) January 4, 2022