The Department of National Parks and Wildlife has effectively withdrawn rangers from the hunt for a lion that killed 30-year-old Clement Munthali in Mzimba’s Mpherembe area on 22 September this year.
The Department’s Director, Brighton Kumchedwa, told us that an established response team is mandated to monitor the area and report to authorities, such as the police, if the stray lion is seen.
“Let me speculate that the lion has gone back to the protected area. But we are keeping an eye on things through the community team we have established in Mpherembe,” he said.
Reacting to the development, Inkosi Mpherembe has advised his subjects to remain alert, saying the threat of the lion is still there.
“People should desist from moving at night. Parents and guardians should escort their children to and from school, especially the young ones,” he advised.
Since the incident a month ago, there have been no reports of livestock attacks or further human attacks, which are common patterns for an animal that has escaped from a protected area.
Several efforts have been made to search for the lion. For example, a helicopter from Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve patrolled the area after a deal to borrow one from African Parks failed because it was due for servicing at the time of the operation.
The department also increased the number of rangers from four to eight.
Munthali’s death brought fear and anxiety among farmers, leading to the suspension of some social and economic activities in Mpherembe, Kabwafu and Kazuni, areas close to Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve.
The lion is suspected to have strayed from the reserve, which lies in Mzimba and Rumphi districts.
