Zimbabwe Seven

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Mar 16 2009 | By: zimbabwe7

Mufasa as as kitten

On 28 February 2009, Mufasa was released at Chishakwe Ranch which is part of the SAVE Valley Conservancy in the south eastern part of Zimbabwe’s lowveld. Mufasa was rather reluctant to just walk out of his new enclosure which had been his home for the past three months. It took us a lot of enticing to get Mufasa to the open gate where we had placed meat. However, once he saw the open gate, he grabbed a piece of the meat and headed off into the veld surrounding the enclosure. Both Nick and I had the telemetry a receiver so that we could track Mufasa. At first he headed north, which was not quite where we wanted him to go, but he needed to explore on his own. This is his first time into the wild and I had the privilege of being a part of that. Once we had managed to redirect Mufasa from continuing his exploration to the North, we left him for an hour to be on his own. Later that same evening, we went back out to track Mufasa. At first I could not get a reading - you can just imagine my panic, the thoughts which travelled through my mind! Has he been attacked, killed? After 20 or so minutes the “beep beep” was heard and my heart relaxed! It is one thing to hear the beep and quite another to actually locate the animal which you are tracking. But after a while, there Mufasa stood, totally relaxed and at ease with our presence. There was, lots to tell about this new adventure. So over the next 20 minutes Mufasa and I walked together in the bush. It does not get better than this feeling. To walk and observe an animal whom you have raised - finally being free and doing what it is that wild animals do, is priceless. With him spraying branches and trees and talking all the while, it made me realise that Mufasa was where he was born to be. He came back to the enclosures, called to Arwen and then trotted back through his gate and into his own enclosure. I followed. Once in his enclosure, he started calling and making a lot of noise. Pawing and scratching at the ground, very excited, and chuffing all the while.

Mufasa coming out of the crate when first moved to Chishakwe Ranch

Mufasa was hand raised by myself (Lisa) and obviously a bond had developed over time, between us. As a human, I am always surprised at my own selfishness in wanting to keep all the animals I raise - just so that I know they are safe forever, and that I know that every day they have food, warmth and what I think they need. But do we as humans really know what these wild creatures need? With each release I am sure a piece of my heart goes with each one of these animals, who have become part of my family. However, when I finally do have the joy of seeing them, walking freely in what is their new freedom - I realise that there is still, so much that we do not understand and that being wild is a gift beyond measure, which as humans, we can give to our fellow mammals, whom we share this planet with. Releasing is a very emotional step which I continue to struggle with even after doing it for so many years. Each animal who takes their first steps into the wild, makes my heart stop and my mind full of what can go wrong. It is so difficult being wild, when you are born into it. So to be captive born, with all the theoretical warmth and comfort that goes with that, and then enter into this new world, has so much against these captive born animals. Have we prepared them sufficiently, will they know how to react to all the new dangerous situations that they might find themselves in? Only time, will tell and we will be the first to report back to you re the adventures in the wild.

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Category: Uncategorized | Date: Mar 09 2009 | By: zimbabwe7

Our readers were equally as affected as we were here at the Tikki Hywood Trust when we were informed of the senseless murder of Twiza the giraffe (October 2008 blog) and then the brutal killing of the two bull elephants (November 2008 blog) who had been moved to the Chiredzi River Conservancy in the 1992 – 93 drought. Any death of an innocent animal can not received the right justice, in my opinion – however as a result of these deaths, there has been an outcome which we feel is positive and therefore would like to share this with you our supporters.

On the 16 December 2008, the Tikki Hywood Trust sponsored a meeting held at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management Authorities. This meeting included all of the stakeholders of the conservancies and other personal, involved with the protection of wildlife in Zimbabwe, The Wildlife Management Authority, Zimbabwe Reserved Police and the Attorney General’s Office. The Trust’s aim, to host this meeting was to get some results on the ground in the areas where there is intensive poaching,  as well as for everyone to try and work together to address the horrendous issue of poaching here in Zimbabwe.

The issue which was mirrored by everyone was that the anti –poaching scouts currently on the ground are poorly equiped. These anti poaching units could not, understandably go up against the poachers who were not only armed but dangerous at the same time. How could we expect the scouts to track as well as apprehend poachers who were armed with weapons like AK 47’s when they only had a panga (large bush knife) for protection?

The answer, was quite simply that we needed trained, armed personal on the ground with the authority to shoot, should it be necessary to do so. Each conservancy was allowed to state how many trained rangers from Parks and the ZRP they were allowed. As a result of this meeting, shortly after Christmas these trained personnel were deployed and to date are still on the ground in the various conservancies.

Today when I contacted Theresa ( she lives on Wasara Ranch which is part of the Chiredzi River Conservancy – Twiza’s family) to ask how things were going on the ground with the poaching? Her reply was “we currently have no poaching on Wasara!” With tears in my eyes I re-read and re-read that statement. Six months ago, most people living on the CRC were sure that there was no future for either themselves or the wildlife which still lived in that area.

So a little light has been turned on and animals are being saved. This is not too say by any means that there is not poaching elsewhere, in Zimbabwe, as there most certainly is. But this is one little star fish which has been returned to the sea. Many we find the strength to keep finding and throwing those star fish back one by one.

Above is photograph of wild elephants coming to interact with Teresa’s tame elephants. In this way the tame elephants can habituate and interact and get to know the wild herds so that they can integrate peacefully at a later stage.

Tags: , anti-poaching, hope

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