Quipingui village: The population of Quipingui Village in the Cambundi-Catembo municipality of Malanje province killed a lion last week that had been invading pens for some time to devour goats and cattle, an administrative source has said.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the municipal administrator of Cambundi-Catembo, Fernandes Crist³vo, confirmed that after the lion was sighted near the village, the population, fearing attacks, set homemade traps, resulting in the death of the feline on the 24th. "We received information that the animal had been caught already dead in one of the traps and we went to the location to confirm," the administrator stated.
Crist³vo reported that the lion had been roaming the locality for four months, during which it devoured 22 goats, two pigs, two sheep, and an ox, causing significant concern among the villagers. He noted that this is not the first time authorities have encountered such situations, recalling that last year similar incidents involved hippos in two villages, prompting protective measures.
The administrator emphasized that the municipal administration lacks the resources to manage the presence of these animals, advising the population to adhere to preventive measures, such as avoiding walking alone and in areas suspected of having dangerous animals. He also assured that no human casualties were reported as a result of the lion's presence.
Environmentalists have highlighted the need for swift responses in such situations to ensure the safety of rural communities, the preservation of wildlife, and to prevent conflicts between humans and animals.
In response, the Malanje government, in coordination with the National Institute of Biodiversity and Conservation, is developing a plan to capture and relocate the felines to a safe area away from residential zones. According to the local government, the presence of such animals poses a direct threat to the safety of inhabitants, their livestock, food security, and the socio-economic balance. In the coming days, adequate technical and logistical resources will be deployed to the municipality to ensure the safe capture and containment of the animals.
