VICTORIA FALLS – A 29-year-old man from the Woodlands Resettlement Area near Victoria Falls is recovering in hospital after surviving a lion attack over the weekend.

Metrod Tshuma was injured on Saturday morning after he and several others attempted to drive away a lion spotted near the community’s grazing area.

“I heard people shouting and dogs barking. I ran out and heard a lion roaring where our cattle graze, so I ran to meet my colleagues to try and scare it away,” Tshuma said.

The lion, which had retreated into a nearby thicket, ambushed Tshuma from behind. He was bitten on the hand, losing a thumb, and sustained deep wounds to his head and arm.

“I managed to escape by pushing it away. I cried out, injured and in pain, and later my colleagues came to rescue me,” he added.

Following the lion attack, Tshuma was taken to Victoria Falls Hospital, where he remains under medical care.

Local residents say the lion had killed a cow the day before the attack and later mauled two donkeys. They have appealed for government intervention, citing ongoing threats from wild animals in the area.

“This is serious. Some lions are collared. Children walk long distances to school and are at risk,” a community member said.

So far this year, the community reports losing more than 50 cattle to wildlife.

This incident highlights the serious risks of human-wildlife interaction, especially when individuals confront dangerous animals without proper training or protection.