Murandu said villagers are forced to invest most of their time and resources in protecting their crops from the marauding elephants with little success.

Windas Sianene is grateful that he miraculously survived a crocodile attack soon after escaping from being trampled by elephants

Sianene, a father of three from Chief Saba area, survived the attack by jumping onto the back of the crocodile and shoving his arm down its throat to make it gag until rescue arrived.

Conservationists are promoting the use of the fortified kraals to encourage the coexistence of livestock belonging to communal farmers in wildlife corridors and predator animals.

Zimbabwe records a high number of poaching cases every year with animals such as elephants and rhinos targeted for their horns, which are in demand in Asian countries.

To counter the challenge, communities organised themselves to come up with strict regulations and formed committees at ward level to enforce them.

Tinashe Farawo, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson, said foreigners mostly provided financial incentives to local poachers.