Walking to work in the morning recently, Mr Biggie Shoko of Hwange District's hunting community suddenly got attacked by an elephant bull.
It trampled him to the ground but he found a curious way to miraculously save himself from being killed by the huge animal.
All it took to save his dear life was to start a hysterical conversation with the elephant bull.
"Hey, Mr elephant, stop killing me!" he cried. "I want to go to work for my family. Stop killing me."
Mr Shoko remembers that after this desperate conversation, the elephant bull suddenly stopped attacking him.
"The next thing I remember is that I was in hospital with an elephant tusk-pierced and heavily bandaged thigh and in great pain with my family standing next to my hospital bed," he said.
Fortunately, Mr Shoko lived to tell his near-death-experience. Many people do not.
However, he is still scared to this very day that the elephant that attacked him still knows him and may strike again!
Despite this, he said that he loves wildlife because it is generating international hunting revenue that continues to significantly support socio-economic development projects for the Hwange hunting communities.
Crocodiles are also killing residents, especially while fishing.
Recently, a Kamativi man was fatally attacked by crocodiles while fishing.
"Two crocodiles wrestled him and tore his ligaments," said the Hwange Rural District Council environment and natural resources officer, Mr Xolelani Ncube.
"The other community members threw stones and made noise which led to the crocodiles leaving him. Due to heavy bleeding, the victim passed away, three days after being admitted at a hospital in Hwange."
Meanwhile, a family from the Hwange hunting community recently experienced the most bizarre encounter with a crocodile in their homestead, during the evening.
Following a fishing-outing at Lukosi River earlier during the day, a member of the family (a young man) survived a crocodile attack.
He bled a little bit and ran home about a kilometre away.
Just when the family had finished having supper later that night, little did they know that the crocodile that had attacked their loved one had followed him!
"The crocodile followed the victim to his homestead and passed his bedroom," said Mr Ncube.
"It proceeded to a secluded place waiting to attack the victim."
Suddenly, there were screams and pandemonium after a family member spotted the crocodile in their homestead. This drew large numbers of villagers to the homestead.
In no time, the Hwange Rural District Council rangers were at the scene.
"The rangers found the crocodile hiding and shot and killed it," said Mr Ncube.
Thanks to the funds from international hunting that support community rangers' activities to protect communities from problem wild animals. They also protect wildlife from poachers who come from distant places, outside Hwange District hunting communities.
Despite attacks of their loved ones by wildlife even to the point of death the community has also been benefiting from the wildlife.
They benefit from international wildlife hunting in many significant ways.
The hunted 'cousins' of the elephant bull that attacked Mr Shoko and the crocodiles that killed one man with another man surviving an attack; have and continue to generate international hunting income that significantly supports the socio-economic development projects that benefit the super-wildlife-rich Hwange District hunting communities.
It is here where local communities understand that income made from hunted elephants and crocodiles, including other wildlife species can change their lives for the better.
It supports public infrastructure developments such as the construction of clinics, schools and day care centres, roads and borehole-drilling.
"The Hwange District hunting communities projects that have been significantly supported by international hunting revenue include, Dobolo Pre-school construction," said Mr Ncube.
"Funds generated from international hunting were used to buy building materials, including window frames, doors and handles.
"International hunting revenue has also been used for building other schools and clinics in the area"
Proceeds from international hunting have also been used for the construction of dip tanks for domestic animals.
For about 35 years, the community has been benefiting and has also had boreholes drilled using revenue from international hunting.
Zimbabwe introduced the pioneering programme that democratises community-led wildlife and natural resources use - the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) in 1989.
"International hunting also pays for various goods and services that communities desire at a local level," said Mr Ncube.
"The funds are also used as a fallback and disaster preparedness and prevention fund, to help alleviate such unforeseen events."
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Some wildlife activists have been misrepresenting facts and calling for the ban of international hunting in the name of conserving animals.
If the hunting is banned, this will affect both humans and wildlife.
International hunting is generating revenue that has enabled many to have access to education through construction of schools using the proceeds.
One such businessman is Mr Eliah Mutale of Hwange who was sent to school using international hunting revenue and graduated as a teacher.
He later became a notable businessperson.
Mr Mutale who is also a community leader said that international hunting is supporting the socio-economic developments in Hwange communities, including the other rural communities of Southern African countries such as
Botswana, Mozambique (Tchuma Tchato Community, Tete Province), Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
"In Southern African countries, including Zimbabwe, hunting is our major treasure that is benefiting every hunting community's wildlife conservation and socio-economic development projects," said Mr Mutale.
Emmanuel Koro is a Johannesburg-based international environmental journalist who writes independently on environmental and developmental issues in Africa.
