The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, a wildlife pressure group, this week accused the Department of National Parks and Wildlife management and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of approving sport hunting in the park and other sensitive areas such as in the area where the Presidential elephant herd roams.
“We are extremely disturbed by reports from concerned tourists of gunfire being heard in tourist areas. Investigations have uncovered that hunting quotas have been approved by the Ministry of Environment in areas that should never have them. The Parks Authority and the Ministry have reneged on guarantees made in previous years,” said Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the task force.
Non-hunting areas bordering two prime photographic safari camps have been issued with hunting quotas. Rodrigues said his organization has also received reports of hunting even in the national park itself.
“We are also hearing unconfirmed reports that paying overseas hunters are evident as happened in previous years despite denials by the wildlife authorities, being allowed inside the Park to hunt. With the upcoming United Nations World Tourism Organisation summit in August, we fail to see how Zimbabwe can hold its head high remembering also the awful scenario we reported previously about elephants being shipped off to horrific conditions in China. We urge the Tourism Minister to get involved to put pressure on the Environment Minister to fix escalating problems in Hwange photographic tourism areas,” said Rodrigues.
Conservancy operators in the area who spoke to The Zimbabwean confirmed hearing gunfire in the prohibited hunting areas.
“There is chaos in the area. We have heard gunfire several times in prohibited hunting areas such as photographic safari camps. The situation has deteriorated last year when mining companies were granted special mining grants to explore coal and methane gas in the area. We have also seen an escalation in incidences of poaching in the area,” said a conservancy operator in the area who refused to be named for fear of victimization.
The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management had not responded to questions send via the e-mail to Caroline Washaya Moyo, the department’s spokesperson, by the time of going to press.
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