Zim disgusted with lion-eaters
2004-11-28 14:39
Harare - Villagers in Zimbabwe have aroused official distaste by eating a male lion shot by game rangers for raiding livestock.
Many Zimbabweans believe rogue lions are possessed by the angry spirits of ancestors and are sent to punish communities for breaking traditional taboos.
But the government discourages the consumption of man-eating carnivores, which are frequently old or diseased.
The lion was killed in the Muzarabani area, 200km north of Zimbabwe's capital, after a six-month rampage on cattle and goat by a marauding pride, reported The Sunday Mail newspaper, a government mouthpiece.
A witness described the animal as "huge" and said villagers begged the local authorities to be given the carcass: "A few lucky individuals got to have a piece or two - some said they had eaten the meat in the belief that they would get lion-like bravery and strength."
A senior official at Zimbabwe's Parks and Wildlife Management Authority turned up his nose at the account.
"Never in my life have I been told of any man eating that which has the potential to eat human flesh, save for the crocodile tail, which is a world-renowned delicacy," he was quoted as saying by the newspaper. "We do not encourage them to eat such meat. Our policy is that we offer (local people) only the carcasses of herbivores such as elephants."
One of the diners was unrepentant: "It ate our animals so it is only fair we eat it, too," he told the newspaper.
- AP