THE El Nino-induced drought has resulted in a spike in human-wildlife conflict cases in the resort town of Kariba as starving animals invade human habitats in search of food.
Although elephants and hippopotamuses are known to stray into Nyamhunga, Batoka and Mahombekombe suburbs in the resort town of Kariba, baboons this weekend posed a menace to traders at the main bus terminal at Nyamhunga.
NewZimbabwe.com witnessed running battles between troops of baboons and visibly traumatised vendors, who frantically tried to protect their merchandise, which included fruits and vegetables.
The primates were evidently determined to get what they wanted, with one parading its huge canines in a futile to scare off a female vendor throwing stones to save her wares, which included apples and bananas.
In another incident, a baboon managed to snatch a shopping bag containing oranges before bolting from the scene.
Calm returned to Nyamhunga fruit and vegetable market when the baboons retreated after a while leaving wares strewn all over the place and some vendors counting losses.
Vendors told NewZimbabwe.com the violent clashes have become more frequent in recent weeks with the baboons braving to invade the market where they are sure of finding foodstuffs.
The invasions are linked to lack of food in nearby forests owing to the ongoing El Nino phenomenon caused by climate change which resulted in low rainfall.
"The drought has brought real problems to us. Human-wildlife conflict cases are on the rise because there is no food in the forests for the baboons to eat and that is the reason they are coming to the market and in homes," said Esteri Khumbulani, a fruit trader.
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Another Nyamhunga resident, Kenneth Tsikai said terrifying scenes were now more often and urged wildlife authorities to intervene to make suburbs safe, habitable and free from the roaming primates, which have capacity to inflict injury to humans.
"Baboons are a menace these days and we call upon the Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) to come with guns and scare them, so they retreat to the bush.
"If possible, ZimParks must put in place measures to ensure the baboons get supplementary feed so that they don't stray into communities in search of food," said Tsikai.
Efforts to get comment from ZimParks spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo, proved fruitless at the time of publishing.
