The Zanzibar Leopard

There was once an animal called the Zanzibar leopard.

This story begins with the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, to make Tanzania. Zanzibaris do not like the fact that they are no longer their own independent country. Zanzibar has its own president and Government. They are basically their own country, except for the fact that they no longer have the final say about what happens to their country.

Zanzibaris tell me that they do not like the union because Zanzibar has just become a money making tool for the mainland. Their architecture is a World Heritage Site. Their spices, especially their cloves and clove oil is world renowned and exported widely under the banner of Tanzania and most of the money, I am told, returns to the mainland and very little finds its way back to the island.

And then a few days ago a local told me that there were once leopards on the island. And I argued with him, saying that there were never leopards on the island. Until that is, I learnt of this specific animal called the Zanzibar leopard. He told me that the mainland came onto the island and got rid of the leopards. Just another of the many atrocities that happened to Zanzibar.

And then not a minute later I was told a rather bizarre story about this leopard. But no one had been able to verify this. The lady in question had heard it from a guide in the Jozani forests.

Once upon a time witchdoctors* of old used to train these leopards and when someone came to them to use their powers to get revenge on a person, the leopard would be unleashed. The leopards had been trained to kill and destroy livestock of a person. They were even trained to kill people. Apparently it became a huge menace.

And so one day the government (here she stops and giggles, finding it funny that even the government became involved) hired clairvoyants to come in and find out where the leopards were and who owned them. Thus the leopards were removed. Which government was involved she had no way of knowing.


*witchdoctors are very different from healers. Wichdoctors use potions, spells and magic, usually for evil ends. Healers use herbs and plants for healing purposes only. The wichdoctor may also give cures for ailments. But a healer only heals.