A lion has reportedly killed a woman having sex outdoors near the town of Kariba in Zimbabwe.



It was the second lion attack in the town in recent days and residents are said to be living in fear of the animals.



The UK's Metro, Sun and Daily Mail newspapers said the woman, identified as Sharai Mawera, had been making love outdoors with her boyfriend. He managed to escape and tried to raise the alarm.



Members of an apostolic sect who worshipped near the area where the tragedy happened fled after claiming to have seen seven lions in the area.



AP reported wildlife rangers had put Kariba, a northern resort town beside a hydroelectric dam, on full alert after the maulings.



The National Parks and Wildlife Authority said fliers were being handed out in the town and volunteers were using a loudspeaker to caution townspeople on the dangers of lion attacks on the shores of Lake Kariba.



It said that as well as the woman, an arm and a few remnants of a second corpse were found by rangers hunting for the lions.

The wildlife authority warned people against walking at night and crossing through thickets of bush where lions concealed themselves.

The lion alert fliers warned "beer drinkers to avoid moving at night on foot".

With a recent growth of outdoor Christian groups and religious and other tribal sects, the authority advised people to "stop going for secretive prayers in thick vegetation" in and around Kariba.

While lion attacks were not common close to urban settlements, elephants have roamed into Kariba's suburbs, causing several deaths in recent years.

Victims were often heading home from late night taverns and bars.

Lions that have eaten human prey are thought to continue hunting people until they are killed.