Gary and Teresa Warth bought their ranch in 1998 as part of the Chiredzi River conservancy; a collection of ranches that were set aside to help preserve wildlife and local flora. They lost most of their 2,000ha during the land invasions, except for 250ha game fence and 10ha that they use to produce vegetables for commercial purposes.
Twiza was bottle fed for two years before being released into a game paddock. She was very tame and a favourite with visitors to the ranch.
Twiza was so friendly. Whenever we drove into the game paddock, she would
come galloping up to our vehicle at full tilt, a family friend said.
Over the years Twiza gave birth to many calves who were killed by poachers in the area, most of them at a very early age.
The worst poaching takes place over the full moon nights and days, the moon
is so bright, the poachers can hunt and set their snares 24 hours a day, Teresa said.
Although Twiza managed to survive the volatile election period, half of the Warth family’s giraffes were killed, including Twiza’s six-month-old calf. The poachers set their snares among the new green leaves of the acacia trees so that the giraffes die a slow and painful death by hanging.
They left both animals to rot without taking a single slice of meat – and that in a desperately hungry country, a family friend said.
A local Chiredzi MP has set up camp on the perimeter of the Warth’s farm and it is believed that the animal’s deaths were a deliberate attempt to cause the family pain as everyone in the area knew how they had reared and cared for their wildlife.
The wildlife in Zimbabwe is a silent, innocent victim. It has no voice to cry out for help. Please help it, before it is too late, Teresa said. – BY BETHANY DAWSON