Gogo Ndlovu, from Chidobe Village, woke up to find her kitchen completely destroyed after a rogue elephant snuck into her homestead overnight, tearing down the structure while the family slept peacefully.
She only realised what had happened when a neighbour stopped by to let them know about the elephant’s movements during the night. Said Gogo Ndlovu:
I am shocked at what happened here. We did not hear anything when the elephant destroyed the hut as we were all asleep at night. We were woken up by our neighbour, who came in the morning to tell us about the elephant’s movement at night, which left a trail of destruction.
Headman Skinner Ndlovu has urged the government to step in and manage stray elephants before they cause more harm to the community. He said:
We are facing a big problem in our district. As I speak, there was another accident last night of an elephant which was hit by a car, which has left us in shock.
What happened to Gogo’s hut has shaken us as well. We appeal to the relevant authorities and government to assist us in the control of stray elephants, which have caused us harm and destruction in our community.
Ward 2 Councillor Bonginkosi Moyo has called on the authorities and the government to consider culling some elephants, as increased elephant activity in the area is making it difficult for people to go about their daily tasks.
Nxolelani Ncube, Campfire Manager for Hwange RDC, said the number of wild animals wandering into residential areas has been steadily rising. Said Ncube:
Since last week, the movement of elephants has intensified within the communities. There is an accident that happened and people have highlighted that.
The number of elephants has really ballooned to unprecedented levels within the country, specifically within Hwange.
Last week, another one was also hit by also moving transport on the road. So it is something that has been really worrying residents and the community.
Hwange National Park, the largest in Zimbabwe, is home to around 45,000–50,000 elephants. It’s famous for its huge elephant herds, which are sometimes called “super herds.”