Panic as lion kills 3-year-old in Tanzanian village

Villagers in southwestern Tanzania's region of Songwe are now living in fear after a three-year-old child was mauled by lion three days ago, authorities said Thursday.

Donald Maganga, a local ward councilor, confirmed the incident, saying it has disrupted socio-economic activities in the area near the Tanzania-Zambian border of Tunduma.

"Villagers of Itizilo are now living in fear due to the presence of the predators...people fear even to their farms as they don't know where the animals are," he said.

Maganga calls upon wildlife officers in the region to go into the village and look for the predator so that people continue with their daily activities.

The father of the child, Majaliwa Ninchilo, said the tragedy occured on Monday at around 2 a.m. when the lion stormed into their grass-thatched house.

He said that at that time he was not in the house. According to him, his wife tried to scream to seek for help from neighbours, but the predator managed to escape with the child into the wilderness. They only found body remains the next day.

It is estimated that more than 200 Tanzanians are killed each year by lions, crocodiles, elephants, hippos, and snakes, with lions thought to kill at least 70. Endit