The Mbala came in the Night

It was in the wee hours of the morning that we were wakened by the noise in our chicken house. Our hens were locked up and we thought they were protected.

Esther had raised them from little chicks as she had a small paraffin incubator which could take about 50 eggs. These grey, white and black speckled layers were her pride and joy.

African Wild cat  Serval

She quickly got the torch and went outside to see two bright cats-eyes staring at her from the small window in the Chicken house. I was very intrigued at how such an animal could get in as the door was closed.

We called out to one guard. He was asleep. When I called Ndjibu the second guard on Joan Bond’s house he quickly came and brought his bow and arrow with a poisonous tip.

Speckled grey, white and Black Sussex hen

The cat was sitting still on the window ledge mesmerised by the torch light. One twang with the Bow and arrow then the animal fell from his ledge onto the floor of the chicken house. We waited a while then Njibu said, “He’s finished now. The poison has got him.” There was no movement from the henhouse. I gingerly opened the door and shone the torch in. the animal was in the corner with the arrow sticking out of his stomach. Ndjibu quickly pushed passed me eager to gain his prize and his next meal. As soon as he enetered inside the animal leaped at him but with the the arrow right through him. It ripped into him. I jumped back as quicky as I could and slammed the door. A bit of a 'scardy cat' I think I was. Now I had left Ndjibu inside with the animal in the dark with no torch. Soon the poison had done its work and the animal was limp.

Ndjibu emerged from the hen house not letting go of his prey but with a 3centimetre gash in his arm which needed four stitches at the mission hospital over the back fence. One of Esther pet hens was DEAD.