A gigantic baboon has descended on Beit Bridge District Hospital, where it is reportedly terrorising patients and hospital staff.

According to witnesses, the baboon has become a common sight on the hospital premises. “During the day, the baboon will be scavenging for food in the dustbins while at night it is normally seen lurking in the corridors and hospital wards. This baboon is so huge and frightening that the patients and hospital staff are now living in fear of being attacked,” said Mrs Anna Mudau.

The animal was first spotted last week, loitering around the hospital yard, and it has since become the talk of the town. When Mirror visited the hospital last week, the baboon could be seen scavenging the premises, looking for food in the dustbins.

A hospital employee mentioned that a bit of mystery surrounds the baboon, because each time the animal is discussed, it emerges out of the blue. Officials at the hospital said some locals tried to scare it away, and it temporarily disappeared, only to appear again a few hours later.

“We tried to chase it away, but it still continues to come back. We are planning to contact officials from the local parks and wildlife management authority, so that they can possibly get rid of this baboon once and for all,” said an official.

Residents of the border town have since come up with different theories with some claiming that the animal is a goblin which merely resembles a baboon, while others believe it is a genuine stray baboon.

“This has never happened before, where you see a baboon mingling with people. What is strange is that this animal is also seen moving around at night, yet in reality baboons do make nocturnal movements and that is why we believe it could be some kind of a goblin,” said Mr. Ndivhuwo Muleya of Dulibadzimu.

However, another resident, Ms Margaret Moyo, thinks otherwise.

“We are just being superstitious for nothing here because I personally have come across such stray baboons before. This is just an ordinary baboon like others out there in the forest,” she said.