Man fights lion with bare hands

Samson Mutombeni of Chegwite village in Chiredzi warded off the attack from the hungry and wounded lion in a bush near the Save Valley Conservancies last week.

He was walking along a path when the animal emerged from the bush and attacked him. According to Mutombeni, who is battling for his life at Mashoko Hospital after sustaining injuries all over his body, the animal brought him down during the attack.

In an effort to save his life Mutombeni grabbed the lion by the throat  and manage to pin it down. He fought with the animal for almost half an hour before it ran away. “I was walking home around 7 pm when the lion attacked me,” he said.

“I panicked at first but  then I  fought for my life with my bare hands. I grabbed its throat and fought with it for more than 30 minutes before it ran away,” he said.
Police in Masvingo confirmed the incident adding the officials from the department of Parks and wildlife were hunting for the dangerous animal.

“We received the report and we have also alerted the parks and wildlife authority to track down the animal,” said police Masvingo spokesman Assistant Inspector Nkulukeko Nduna.

Fences along the giant Save Valley conservancies have been vandalised since 2000 and animal and human conflict has become common in the area. It is estimated that $ 4 million is needed to rehabilitate the damaged fence.