Residents of Lumezi District in Eastern Province […]

Residents of Lumezi District in Eastern Province are living in fear following a series of deadly wildlife attacks, with former Lumezi Council chairperson Oliver Mwale urging authorities to urgently fund a proposed solar fence project to protect communities.

 Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Mwale said a lion recently entered a resident’s house at night, forcing the occupant to climb onto the roof, where he remained until villagers gathered the following morning and scared the animal away. He said the incident came just days after an elephant allegedly killed an elderly woman who was escorting her pregnant daughter-in-law to a health facility.

“The pregnant woman managed to run off the road when the elephant charged, but the mother-in-law failed to escape, and the elephant followed and killed her,” Mwale said. He added that only two days later, a buffalo reportedly killed a wildlife officer in Chitungulu, highlighting what he described as an alarming rise in human-wildlife conflict in the district.

According to Mwale, communities living in Game Management Areas remain vulnerable because a proposed solar fence project has stalled due to a lack of funding. “All the chiefdoms in the valley were supposed to benefit from the solar fence project, but it has not taken off because the funds have not been released,” he said.

Mwale explained that while wildlife officers work with Community Resource Boards to manage wildlife, residents are prohibited from killing protected animals even when they pose a danger to human life. However, he also expressed concern that families who lose relatives to wildlife at “When an animal kills a human being, there is no compensation.

Even when crops are destroyed, there is nothing. People are left on their own,” he said. Mwale noted that similar challenges are faced in neighboring countries such as Malawi, Botswana, and Namibia, saying human-wildlife conflict remains a regional issue requiring long-term solutions. He appealed to authorities to prioritize measures that protect communities living alongside wildlife before more lives are lost.

 By Karen Ngulube