By BRIAN HATYOKA –

THE Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) has arrested two people for being in possession of Leopard skin in Siavonga District of Southern Province.
Leonard Siamutale, 40, of Sialubange Village and Batoon Siabile, 44 of Siamasandu village was arrested last week.
ZAWA communications and public relations officer Mwila Muliyunda said in a statement yesterday that the two were in custody after being found with the Leopard skin without a license.
“The skin is of an animal suspected to have been poached as recently as May of this year, in an open area located near Lower Zambezi National Park,” Ms Muliyunda said.
In another development, ZAWA officers have killed two crocodiles, one of which is suspected to have killed a seven-year-old girl of Libuyu Township in Livingstone.
Rabecca Choolwe of Mapenzi farm was caught and killed by the crocodile in Nansanzu stream in Livingstone on Sunday.
Ms Muliyuda said the girl had been sent to draw water from the stream when the incident happened on September 14, 2014 between 16 and 17 hours.
She said the deceased was accompanied by her brother when she met her fate.
“Although the stream is not under ZAWA’s jurisdiction, the Authority is saddened by the development and has since deployed officers to the area. The body was retrieved and as of September 16, 2014, the officers killed the two crocodiles from the stream,” Ms Muliyunda said.
ZAWA has since urged residents to stay away from crocodile infested streams.
“Parents should also take responsibility of their children’s safety and desist from sending them to draw water, fish or bath from the streams and rivers as they may be infested with crocodiles. The Authority sends its heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Magistrates Court in Chongwe has convicted and fined 10 residents of Shikanona Village in Rufunsa District K1800 each for unlawful entry and extracting logs in Lower Zambezi National Park.
The convicts had extracted and attempted to carry outside the Park, eighty logs of Mukula tree weighing 7.4 tonnes on a Ford Container truck registration number ALT 4502, which was impounded by ZAWA officers at Mukamba Wildlife camp last week.
The convicts are Alex Phiri, Esa Banda, Sai Phiri, Davison Banda, Julius Phiri and David Phiri, Gift Banda, Terry N’gandu, Kambani Zulu, Kaule Daka, all residents of Shikanona in Rufunsa District and Michael Mufomena, a driver of Lusaka.