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The Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) has killed two hippo’s that were endangering lives in Malala area of Chikankata District.
And government has advised the farming community the district to work hard and ensure that they store enough food for home consumption after this year’s crop harvest.
The hippos were believed to have crossed over from Lusitu River in Siavonga and were reportedly destroying crops in the area.
However the beasts were shot dead on Friday by ZAWA officers.
Chikankata District Commissioner Sylvester Simayaba who confirmed the development to ZANIS in Mazabuka in an interview, today.
Mr. Simayaba said the beasts whose presence was noted a week ago had become a menace to people’s lives as well as their crop fields.
He stated that the hippos destroyed some maize fields in the area causing serous panic among the community who immediately appealed for the intervention of ZAWA.
There was pandemonium in Malala following the killing as scores of community members took turns sharing the hippo meat.
Meanwhile, Mr. Simayaba has challenged the farming community the district to work hard and ensure that they store enough food for home consumption after this year’s crop harvest.
He said farmers in the area should take advantage of the good rainfall pattern currently being received in the area to grow crops on a large scale adding that the distribution farming inputs y government to them should encourage them to grow more crops.
He said Chikankata which s a farming belt in the province should not be part of the districts that should rely on the distribution food saying people in the area should endeavour to be self reliant.
“The distribution of the relief food in the district last year was triggered by the hunger situation due to the outbreak of army worms and natural calamities such as a dry spell and going by the good rains that are currently being experienced we d not expect people to encounter such things this farming season,” he charged.
Mr. Simayaba observed that so far the rain pattern in the area has been encouraging saying it will therefore not be justifiable for people in the newly created District area to cry for relief food.
He had since implored Chikankata residents to ensure that individual food
Security at household level is maintained.
