Africa’srhinosareunderconstantthreatfrompoachingISTOCKManaPoolsNationalPark,thesecondbiggestgamereserveinZimbabwe,isbestknownforitslargebullelephantswhilealsobeinghometoblackrhinos.
LocatedintheZambeziRiverValley,theareaischaracterizedbythickvegetationwhichprovidescamouflagefortheteamingwildlife.
Thegamepark,whichisaUNESCOWorldNaturalHeritageSite,boastsawiderangeofanimals,includingelephants,rhinos,lions,over350birdspeciesandaquaticlife.
Sadly,thethickbushesalsoprovidecoverforpoachers,andforyears,Zimbabwehasbeenbattlingthisscourge,whichsawtheelephantandblackrhinopopulationplummetingduringtheturnofthemillennium.
ThevastparkisamajortargetofpoachersfromneighboringcountrieswhousuallyusecanoestocrosstheZambeziRiveratnighttoenterthepark.
“Theroughterrainisdifficulttonavigatebyfootandpoachersusedtotakeadvantageofthisoperatingintheremotestareaofthisspaciousgamereserve,”saidTawandaMasirirokwawhohasbeenarangerforthepast22yearsatManaPoolsNationalPark.
Chineseanti-poachingintervention
LikemostAfricancountries,ZimbabweisstrugglingwithelephantandblackrhinopoacherswhosellivorytoblackmarketsinAsiancountries.
Inrecentyears,however,Zimbabwe’sconservationeffortshasbeenboostedbyChineseinterventioninanti-poachingprogramswhichhasseenZimbabwe’selephantpopulationgrowto83,000,accordingtoZimbabweParksandWildlifeManagementAuthority(ZimParks).
TheConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpeciesofWildFaunaandFloraSpecies(CITES)hasapplaudedZimbabweforitsanti-poachingeffortsandthereductioninpoachingcasesinthefirstquarterofthisyear.TheyputthisdowntoZimParks’commitmenttocomedownhardonpoachers.
CITESsaidfromJanuarytoMarchthisyear,onlyoneelephantandablackrhinohavebeenlosttopoacherscomparedto12elephants,fiveblackrhinosandtwowhiterhinos,inthesameperiodlastyear.
“TheChinesehaveprovedtobehelpfulpartnersincombatingpoachinginZimbabwe.Theyprovidedvehicles,technologyandinsomeinsistencespersonnel,”OppahMuchinguri-Kashiri,MinisterofEnvironment,WaterandClimateofZimbabwe.
In2015,ChinaandZimbabwelaunchedtheSino-ZimWildlifeFoundation,whichraisedresourcestohelpZimParkswithconservationresourcesandtofightagainstpoaching.ItsmembersincludeChinesenationalslivinginZimbabwe.
“Thefoundationhasmanagedtotrainpersonnelandmobilizedresourcesfortheauthorityinthecountry.ThenationalparksofZimbabwehavebeenfacingamyriadofchallenges,whichincludedunder-capitalizationandoutdatedinfrastructure,”addedMuchinguri-Kashiri.
Sino-ZimWildlifeFoundationDirectorFrancescoMarconatisaidtheorganizationhasacquiredvitalanti-poachingequipmentforZimParks.
“WehaveavailedasmallboattopatrolintheZambeziRiverandatwo-seatmicrolightaircraftwhichconductssurveillanceinthe2,196-square-kmManaPoolsNationalPark.Thisisdeterringwould-bepoachers,”saidMarconati.Theaircrafthascamerasonboardwhichcandetectthemovementofpoachersand,viaaconnectiontothefoundation’scontrolroom,candirecttheparkrangersonthegroundtoapprehendthem.
“Theaircrafthaschangedthewayweconductouranti-poachingpatrolsinManaPools,”saidMasirirokwa.
TheSino-ZimWildlifeFoundationFounderLiSongsaidtheorganizationwasechoingtheChineseGovernment’spositiononwildlifeprotectionandconservancy.
“Chinaisveryseriousandcommittedwhenitcomestowildlifeprotection.In2015,theChineseGovernmentdonatedequipmentworth$2.3milliontoZimParksforconservationwork.”
LisaidtheSino-ZimWildlifeFoundationhasbeencoordinatingandmobilizingsupportfromChinaforconservationinZimbabwe.Todate,theyalreadyhadChinesevolunteersworkingwithZimbabweanauthoritiesintheareaaroundKariba,locatedintheMashonalandWestProvince,onanti-poachingexercises.
WildlifeinZimbabwewasbeingthreatenedbyinternationalpoachers,saidLi,adding,“Wehavebeenworkinghardfightingpoachingandillegaltransportationandsellingofanimalproducts.”
AnotherChineseorganization,BlueSkyRescuehasalsobeenontheforefrontofanti-poachinginitiativesinZimbabwe.
BlueSkyRescuereceivesassistancefromtheMinistryofForeignAffairsofChinatoconductanti-poachingprogramsinZimbabwe.Thenon-governmentalorganizationisplanningtobuildapermanentcampinthecountrywhichofferstechnologicalhelpandfacilitiesforvolunteerstoconductsustainedanti-poachingactivities.
Inaddition,in2015,theChineseGovernmentdonatedanti-poachingequipmenttoZimbabwetohelpitcurbwildlifepoaching.
TheequipmentincludedSUVs,trucks,graders,tractors,mobileradios,tentsandpatroluniformsforuseatManaPoolsNationalParkandHwangeNationalPark.Hwangeisthecountry’slargestwildlifesanctuaryandhasalsosufferedrampantelephantpoachinginrecentyears.
AnaircraftdonatedbytheChineseGovernmenttoassisttheSino-ZimWildlifeFoundationwithitsanti-poachinginitiativesSino-ZimWildlifeFoundationPoachers’arrestsontherise
“WearegratefultoourChinesefriendswhohaveconstantlyhelpedthecountryinitsant-poachinginitiatives.WehavemanagedseveralarrestsbecauseofthetrainingandequipmentwegotfromtheChinese,”saidZimParksspokespersonTinasheFarawo.
Farawosaidthatatotalofsevenpeoplewerekilledwhilepoachingin2017,includingsixlocalsandoneforeigner.Inaddition,408peoplewerearrestedforpoachingthesameyear.Fromthesearrests,ZimParkswereabletorecover615items,amongwhichwere19rifles,71roundsofammunition,45ivorytusks,145gamenets,285snaresand50boats.
In2016,oneSouthAfrican,31ZambiansandsevenMozambicanswereamong443peoplearrestedinZimbabweforpoaching,accordingtoZimParks.
FarawosaidZimParksanti-poachingeffortshavebeenbolsteredbythevalidationfromCITES,whichhebelievesshowstheyareontherighttrack.
“WearehappywiththeendorsementwehavegottenfromCITESforouranti-poachingcrusade.Thisisgood,comingasitdoesfromsuchacrucialorganization,”Farawo.
**ReportingfromZimbabwe
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