Rampant poaching decimates Kariba wildlife
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Rampant poaching is threatening to wipe out wildlife in the Kariba national
park area where animal rights activists warn of a surge in sightings of
snares planted by poachers.
19.08.1105:42pm
by Vusimusi Bhebhe
The Kariba Animal Welfare Fund said last week that poaching activities
threatened to decimate entire herds of buffalo, waterbuck, impala and zebra
in the once wildlife-rich national park.
It said a recent operation by a combined tracking team comprising members of
the fund and Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers recovered at
least 40 snares planted by poachers in the Nyanyana section of the national
park. Several impala carcasses were also found.
Another sweep retrieved 21 snares in the Quarry area, together with
carcasses of a zebra and a buffalo. A KAWF spokesperson said, due to the
gravity of the problem, the fund was currently conducting snare sweeps three
times a week.
“We sincerely hope these snare sweep updates hit home to our Kariba
residents as well as businesses, tour operators, boat owners and visitors to
Kariba, that this is not by any means a small problem that will go away. It
is a huge poaching problem that is growing daily,” the spokesperson said.
Poaching has become rampant throughout Zimbabwe over the past few years and
has been particularly fuelled by the lawlessness spawned by the illegal
occupation of conservancies by supporters of President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu
(PF) party.