DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least three lions from the Selous Game Reserve have raided a village in southern Tanzania, forcing villagers to spend sleepless nights, a civic leader said on Monday.
The Selous Game Reserve is a protected area in southern Tanzania covering a total area of 50,000 square kilometers and is home to the African bush elephant, black rhino, hippopotamus, lion, wild dog, cape buffaloes, Maasai giraffe, plains zebra and the Nile crocodile.
Saidi Geho, acting ward executive officer for Msisima ward, said the three lions invaded Matempwende village in the southern region of Ruvuma on Sunday, killing three cows.
"The lions feasted on the three cows at night on Sunday," said Geho, adding that the incident forced the village authorities to seek help from game rangers from Namtumbo district's department of Natural Resources.
Simon Sambalu, Lands and Natural Resources officer for Namtumbo district, said following the request from the village authorities his department deployed a team of game rangers to guard the village against the invading lions.
"A team of game rangers have camped in the village to stop the lions from causing disastrous attacks to humans and domestic animals," said Sambalu.
A wave of wild animals, including elephants, from the nearby Selous Game Reserve that raid villages in Namtumbo district has been on the increase for quite some time.
The Selous Game Reserve was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to its wildlife diversity and undisturbed nature.
