A hyena snatched a six-year-old boy from his parents’ doorstep in Buhera and killed him before dumping the mutilated body in a nearby rive...
A hyena snatched a six-year-old boy from his parents’
doorstep in Buhera and killed him before dumping the mutilated body in a nearby
riverbed in the middle of the night.
Elisha Zvavahera, of Zvavahera village was playing outside with
10 other siblings from his father’s polygamous marriage when the lone hyena
pounced. They ignored an alarm initially raised by one of the children as they
were listening to the news on the radio.
When Elisha’s mother — Mrs Ellen Matsenhura — eventually
went out to investigate after about 20 minutes, the victim was no longer
traceable.
Mr Zvavahera said this was the worst tragedy to inflict his
family. He said the tragic incident was giving them sleepless nights.
“His bones were weak since childhood and he could not walk
or run normally and when other children noticed the hyena and rushed for cover,
Elisha lagged behind and fell prey. This is the worst catastrophe to affect the
family. We later noticed that as the children played outside, the hyenas were
by the kraal. They were running towards the kraals, and that is how and where
Elisha was snatched.
“His body was discovered along the river around 8am the
following morning, and the sight was horrible. His stomach had been ripped open
and the intestines were all over the scene. His legs had been gnawed and the
head had been pierced. He had two deep cuts on both ears, suggesting that is
the area the animal sank its canines and dragged him. It was a scary view; I
had to draw all my courage as the father to put the ripped body together. This
is the work of the devil,” Zvavahera, who is a member of Johanne Marange Church
told the Manica Post.
“This area is no longer habitable and kids are refusing to
go to school fearing a comeback by the hyenas. It is unfortunate that I have
lost a son in this incident, but we should not lose another person to have
these animals eliminated,” he said.
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