Lions that allegedly strayed from the Kruger National Park have killed 19 cattle in Tshikwalakwala village outside Beit Bridge since the beginning of the month.

The local ward councillor, Mr Enock Ndou, told Limpopo Mirror that the lions were mainly targeting cattle grazing in the bush. “This is really an issue of grave concern as local villagers rely on cattle farming for a living,” he said.

Ndou urged the local relevant authorities to address this problem as a matter of urgency.

Mr Samson Chauke, one of the affected villagers, said he had lost three cattle after they had been attacked by the lions. “The lions have killed three cattle from my kraal and this really worrying us as villagers because the relevant authorities know about it but they are not doing anything to address the problem.”

Ndou said they would soon engage a local safari operator to hunt down the lions. The problem of lions is not new to the local villagers as they continue to endure the pain of losing their animals.

Tshikwalakwala village is situated at the confluence of the Limpopo and Bubi River and lies along Zimbabwe’s borders with Mozambique and South Africa.