The government last year started exporting baby elephants mainly to China amid worries that the animals would die or relocate to hostile environments.
Government officials have insisted that the sale is part of a culling process.
“Despite desperate efforts from thousands of people all over the world, it seems that the export of the baby elephants will go ahead after all. In fact we believe there are now approximately 80 elephants due to be exported.,” said Johnny Rodrigues, ZCTF chairman.
Zimbabwean authorities claim that there are around 54 000 elephants in the Hwange area while the holding capacity is only 15 000.
Rodrigues disputed the figures.
“The strange thing about this is that there is an animal count in Hwange National Park every year and in the past 10 years, the number of elephants counted has never even come to half that number.
“A count was done towards the end of last year and the elephant population was around 20, 000 so we can't imagine where the additional 30, 000 elephants have come from,” he said.
His organisation carried out peaceful but unsanctioned demonstration in Harare on February 7, but authorities did not take heed of ZCTF’s concerns.
The organisation had been denied the opportunity to piquet on two previous attempts.
“We are very disappointed that the export is still going ahead and all we can think of doing now is boycotting Zimbabwe – telling everybody not to come to Zimbabwe on holiday,” Rodrigues in a statement.
Post published in: News