The mysterious beast blamed for one death and 19 serious injuries in Malawi was a spotted female hyena, a parks and wildlife expert said on Thursday.
The hyena, tracked down by traditional hunters who claimed to use magical powers, had terrorised the central Malawi district of Dowa for the last two weeks.
Humphrey Nzima, deputy director of national parks and wildlife, said that his office had established that the hyena died of starvation and beatings.
Nzima said the hyena appeared not to have eaten since August 11.
Nzima’s identification of the beast should lay to rest fears among residents in Dowa that a mysterious beast created by witchcraft was on the prowl.
After modern-style hunters and police had failed to track down the animal, traditional hunters were allowed to try to capture the animal, whose real identity had remained a mystery.
Preliminary assessments based on footprints had indicated the beast might have been a lion. Some villagers believed it was a human creation.
Two traditional leaders who believed the animal’s
rampage was the work of witchcraft called last weekend for all villagers ”to exorcise the witches” in their community.
The animal started attacking people in several villages two weeks ago, and killed one person last week.
Several of the injured people, who lost hands or fingers and suffered deep gashes, were still in hospital in Lilongwe.
Everyone attacked by the wild animal has been put on antibiotics and given anti-rabies vaccinations. – AFP
