By Admore Mbonda | Kariba
Victoria Falls — Metrod Tshuma never imagined he’d come face-to-face with a lion—but when danger roared through his community over the weekend, the 29-year-old villager chose courage over fear.
It was just after 10am in the quiet Woodlands Resettlement Area when Tshuma heard a commotion: dogs barking wildly, neighbours shouting, and then—an unmistakable sound that turned his blood cold—the roar of a lion.
“I heard people shouting and dogs barking. I ran out and heard a lion roaring where our cattle graze,” Tshuma recalled from his hospital bed at Victoria Falls Hospital. Despite the risk, he rushed to gather fellow villagers and went to confront the predator threatening their livestock.
But before they could react, the lion struck. Hidden in a nearby thicket, it pounced—targeting Tshuma from behind.
“The lion came from my back and attacked me,” he said, his voice steady despite the trauma.
Tshuma fought for his life. Though he lost a thumb and sustained deep wounds to his head and hand, he managed to push the lion away and crawl to safety. Bleeding and in pain, he climbed up a tree and called out for help. His quick-thinking neighbours came to his rescue and rushed him to the hospital.
“I’m just grateful to be alive,” he said, his resilience shining through the pain.
The attack has shaken the tight-knit community, especially as it followed a string of incidents involving the same lion.
Just a day earlier, the beast is believed to have killed a neighbour’s cow—and in the hours after attacking Tshuma, it mauled two donkeys.
Fear now grips the village, but so does solidarity. Community members are calling for stronger wildlife management to protect both people and livestock.
“We share these lands with wild animals, but there must be measures to keep everyone safe,” said one local elder.
As Metrod Tshuma begins his journey of recovery, his act of bravery has inspired many. He didn’t just fight for himself—he stood up for his entire community.
And in doing so, he reminded us of the quiet heroes who risk it all in the face of danger.
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