Hwange Game Park Records Decline In Poaching - Zimparks
Zimbabwe has recorded a decline in poaching at the Hwange National Park, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) has said.
A total of 36 wildlife animals were poached in 2022, down from 42 in 2021.
From 2016 to 2019, at least 322 elephants were killed by poachers, largely for their tusks.
ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo told the Southern Eye that poaching had been on a decline, with no cases recorded in 2023 at the game park. He said:
Poaching has gone down in Zimbabwe. In Hwange, we have been doing extremely well in terms of managing our wildlife.
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We are not doing this in isolation, but we also work closely with others like the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the World Wildlife Fund, the African Wildlife Foundation and many others too many to mention in fighting poaching.
Farawo said harsh jail sentences coupled with various interventions such as joint patrols with wildlife agencies have contributed to the decline in poaching. He said:
In terms of partnerships, what we are calling conservation partnerships, they are also helping us in terms of resources such as vehicles, and refresher courses for our rangers and it has helped a lot because we are now more visible in communities.
We are now more visible in the parks, which is deterring would-be poachers. The mandatory nine-year sentence has also proved to be a deterrent.
Poachers target elephants and rhinos for their horns, which are in high demand in Asia.
Reports suggest that some Asians believe ivory and tusks have medicinal properties although there is no scientific evidence for this.
More: Pindula News
