Turning vulnerable livestock into four-eyed beasts helps protect them in Zimbabwe

In Chiredzi district, southeastern Zimbabwe, the local council recorded 317 human-wildlife conflict cases in the first half of 2026, as lions, leopards, wild dogs and jackals raid livestock near reserves like Save Valley Conservancy. Farmer Edson Mabika, who lost four sheep and a calf despite a secure kraal and armed herd boy, took the advice of a former ranger friend and painted black-and-white eyes on his animals' hindquarters.

Mabika reports his losses dropped from four or five animals a year to just one goat and one lamb since starting the practice in January 2025, both cases where the paint had faded. A 2020 study of roughly 2,000 cattle in Botswana found none of the 683 eyespot-marked cows were killed by lions or leopards, versus 15 of 835 unmarked cows.

The trick appears to have spread from Botswana border communities, possibly via returning migrant laborers, and is now picking up neighborhood copycats and the endorsement of professional game trackers. Forecasters warn of drought conditions ahead, which typically pushes both herders and predators into closer contact.

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