Nature loving people always sympathise with wildlife, especially wild animals when the season changes from the more nature-supportive rain season to the dry one.

From an ecological point of view, the rain season is supportive to biodiversity.  For nature lovers, it is when they enjoy its aesthetic value. Because of changes of seasons, it is unfortunate that this moist biodiversity supportive period is short-lived.

It is followed by the dry season in which the veld is more vulnerable to fires, which are common during this time when nature is supposed to benefit the country through tourism, and wildlife research carried out in forestry areas or national parks.

Despite efforts, and campaigns done to prevent veld fires occurring during this period, more veld fires continue to be witnessed in different corners of the country. As citizens, and also having the “blessing” of earning resources from tourists who visit our country after they would have been convinced through different advertising platforms,  it must be great if they come and see our unburnt, beautiful nature which in most cases hinges on protected areas.

Different tourism-related industries in the country spend quality time, and resources to convince such people for the benefit of our economy as a country. It is unfortunate that, despite all the effort made to prevent veld fires through campaigns — veld fires have continued to be mark the dry season.

Knowing the devastating effects of fire at different arenas of our lives, questions about our different perceptions on veld fires in our protected areas are asked. These veld fires are sometimes characterised by drama as concerned parties, for example, community fire control teams, forestry or national parks rangers try to put out the veld fires depending on which place they would have occurred. Normally if the veld fire occurs near a communal area, community veld fire control teams are involved.

For those who are concerned about the destructive effects of veld fires, the following questions will always linger in their minds.   How did the fire start since most of these protected places are not human habitat? What was the intention of starting the fire deep in the national park or forestry area? Is the person who started the fire aware of the ecological, economical and social effect of these?

It is unfortunate that some causes of these veld fires range from merely seeing a “big snake” which is sometimes harmless and the best weapon to use is firing the veld or to drive certain “target species” of wild animals to snares or other traps by the poachers.

The former is ranked the main cause, as it is said to be a “psychological tactic” by poachers, to shift the attention of rangers from the usual cat and mouse game they play in the bush.  While the rangers concentrate on putting out the fire, the poachers enjoy the free range illegal hunting business.

Will the snake wait to be burnt, or it will slither away from the heat area, and seek safety somewhere especially its usual safe home — a burrow under the soil therefore living the other “innocent wildlife” which  are terrestrial, dying from the heat. While throwing of burning cigarette stubs is also considered to be another cause, it is good that a good number of motorists no longer smoke while behind the wheel.  It has to be noted however, that few veld fires in protected areas have shown that they started near roads.

By mid last month, veld fires had destroyed 18 406 hectares of land in protected areas in Matabeleland North.  According to the Environmental Management Agency, most of the fires had been reported in Chizarira, Fuller, Jafuta, Ngamo and Matetsi forest areas.

By Friday, 2 828 fire incidents had been recorded countrywide, destroying 658 000ha of land and damaging property worth US$230  000. Four people had died in the wild infernos.

My article will be half-baked if I do not mention the negative effects of veld fires in protected areas — which include unpleasant appearance of what is meant to be eye-catching to those who love nature and disturbance of the ecosystem as stages of various species of living things are destroyed, which include endangered species because their numbers have dwindled. Some of these negative effects can be physically observed, but the negative effects on the death of very important micro-organisms which include bacteria on  the top layers of  burnt soil are rarely mentioned in public awareness as they are considered to be too scientific.

While I was working on this article, I was lucky to meet two students from the University of Zimbabwe who are on industrial attachment with a wildlife research organisation operating in Fuller Forest in Matabeleland North. Their daily research data collection was affected by a vast burnt veld at this protected place.
Mitchel Nowa studying Microbiology and Genetics, said:

“There is a bigger density of micro organisms at about 3 to 5cm below the ground. Therefore, veld fires destroy a lot of useful micro organisms which has affected part of my studies.”
Theo Duri studying Zoology at the same university said:

“In a zoological scope, veld fires destroy and disrupt multiple ecosystems and their functions from grasslands to woodlands. Burning veld makes it difficult for me to study these wild animals as they are now difficult to see because of the burnt veld.”

From other scientific fields, veld fires have also been considered to be contributing to climate change, and global warming due to smoke and other gases produced during burning and other affected natural gas cycles.

Wildlife is considered to be one of our natural resources which we should benefit from. Veld burning especially in protected areas has negative effects on survival of  wildlife, affects wildlife researches and  the economy of  our country- hence  there is need for a combined effort to stop the malpractice.

lMahlabezulu Zulu is a conservationist who has worked for various wildlife research, and conservation organizations in Hwange National Parks, and Fuller Forestry in Victoria Falls. He can be contacted on 00263(0)713269827/0776196171. Email [email protected]  or   [email protected]