SIGONDE – The people of the rural community of Sigonde near the Zimbabwe border, are living in fear of their lives, after a recent attack by a leopard on two young men and their dogs.

Prince Nemakonde (32) was looking for the cattle with his brother Khorommbi Mahada (38) and his father, Andries, on an adjacent mountain, when the incident occurred. "We were walking in the bush when we heard the dogs barking from a distance. We then rushed into the direction of the sound, while leaving our father behind. When we reached the scene, my brother saw something like a dog disappearing to the dark cave. While he was standing in front the cave, I saw a leopard storming out and attacking my brother. Within seconds, it charged to me, while I was running away," said Nemakonde.

When he realised that the leopard was about to attack him from behind, Nemakonde said he quickly turned and grabbed it by its forelegs as it was trying to reach for his throat. He struggled with it for several minutes, until one of his six dogs came to his rescue and chased the animal away.

Although he was severely injured on his hands and had fainted on the way because of excessive loss of blood, Nemakonde and his brother managed to reach home, where the local Chief, Samuel Sigonde, took them to Ha-Manenzhe Clinic. They were then transferred to Donald Frazer Hospital.

Speaking from his home last Thursday morning, Nemakonde, who was released from hospital on Wednesday, said he was not sure how is he going to work for his four children, as he has broken his right hand and middle finger from left hand.

"I cannot believe that I have survived. If it were not for my dogs, that animal would have killed me," said Nemakonde. Although the community is forced to go the same area while looking for their livestock, Nemakonde said he would never set his foot in the bush.

The Mutale Mayor, Masindi Manyuha, said they were shocked by the incident, as it was the first leopard attack in the area. Manyuha said they also discussed the incident with Nature Conservation.

Meanwhile, there were also reports of lions attacking cattle at Ha-Mutele and Mhinga area in the past week. The community said the problem was a seasonal one, and they did not know what to do.