Health fears on the rise as Zimbabwe poachers poison water holes
http://www.monstersandcritics.com
Sep 18, 2011, 13:27 GMT
Harare – Health fears were on the rise in Zimbabwe as poachers began
poisoning water holes in many of the country’s biggest game-parks, killing
dozens of animals, reports said Sunday.
Caroline Washaya-Mayo, a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife
Manaagement Authority, was quoted by the Sunday Mail newspaper as saying
that waterholes have been contaminated with the unidentified poison at the
Gonarezhou, Mana Pools, Zambezi, Charara and Matsudona national parks.
‘This is the only time we have had cases of poaching involving chemicals,’
Washaya-Mayo said, adding that poachers are using different techniques which
are silent and do not raise suspicion.
Nine elephants, five lions, two buffaloes and several vultures are among the
animals known to have died after drinking the water.
Authorities are concerned that the health of nearby villages may be at risk
if residents accidentally drink the contaminated water and urged game
rangers patrolling the areas to carry their own water.
In July, a local conservation group accused Chinese miners of using poisoned
bread to kill a herd of elephants in the Zambezi Valley. Poisoned cabbage
leaves were reportedly used to kill rhinos in south-eastern Zimbabwe last
year.
Authorities in once game-rich Zimbabwe have recently stepped up their fight
against poachers, killing three suspected rhino poachers in the Chipangayi
Safari area, south-east of the country, on Tuesday.