Stray buffalo spotted, killed in Mzuzu

Department of National Parks and Wildlife in Mzuzu on Saturday killed a stray buffalo that had been causing fear to communities in Lusangazi area in Mzuzu for the past two weeks.

The animal was spotted on Friday in Matuli area near group village head (GVH) Kamangadazi, which is closer to Lusangazi in Mzuzu City.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, parks and wildlife assistant Alfred Mangani confirmed that the buffalo was killed on Saturday evening.

“We were called by group village head Kamangadazi around 4am and we deployed game rangers immediately who found it in Matuli. They managed to kill the wild animal in Solomon Village,” Mangani said.

On why they decided to kill the animal instead of leading it back to its sanctuary, Mangani said Wildlife and Parks Rules state that when an animal is found in an area far from its territory, it should be killed.

“The park is very far so it could be difficult to drive it back without risking people’s lives,” he said.

Mangani said the buffalo’s meat was sold to the community and the money deposited in government bank account.

“According to our rules, meat from such game is sold to the nearest community; and in this case, it was sold at K1 000 per kilogram,” he said.

In April 2010, a stray elephant from Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve killed a 77-year-old man in Sonda area on the outskirts of Mzuzu City before it was gunned down hours later.