Zimbabwe Seven

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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