By Mcloyd Chilangiza:
People around Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve in Mzimba District are living in fear after a lion believed to have strayed from the reserve allegedly killed one person and injured a child.
The lion was first reported on Thursday last week and has since been roaming in communities around the reserve, including the Traditional Authority Mpherembe area.
Mzimba West parliamentarian Aeckim Kumwenda said the incident had disrupted economic activities in the area.
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He expressed concern over the small number of rangers deployed to track down the animal.
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“There is social disruption and no economic activity taking place because everyone is living in fear. We appreciate the efforts by the Department of Wildlife but we still believe there is more that can be done to address the situation,” Kumwenda said.
Inkosi Mpherembe confirmed that the lion was still roaming in the area.
“People should avoid moving at night and, during the day, they should escort their children to school. Moving in groups is much safer until the Department of Parks and Wildlife responds to reports quickly and tracks down the lion,” Mpherembe said.
Meanwhile, Nyika- Vwaza Co-management Trust Chief Executive Officer George Nxumayo has said rangers were on the ground tracking the lion and following reports from community members.
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Nxumayo said conflicting reports from different areas had made the search challenging, but rangers were following all credible information to locate the animal.
“We have rangers on the ground who are following reports from the communities and trying to identify the lion’s movements so that it can be returned to the reserve. We assure communities around the reserve that we are doing everything possible to resolve the situation as soon as possible,” Nxumayo said.
Currently, unverified reports indicate that a man died after being attacked by the animal on September 22, 2026.
