WANTON SLAUGHTER IN NATIONAL PARKS

A SHORT burst of rifle fire. The scream of a wounded animal as it crumples to the ground and lies still.

Silence shrouds the bushveld. A poacher steps out of hiding, chops off the animal’s tail to use as a fly whisk, then leaves.

No meat, skin or anything useful is taken from the animal which joins the many killed this way or by snares set in the 2,000 sq km Gona-re-zhou National Park in the south-east corner of Zimbabwe.

Even the vultures are not hungry. They cannot cope with the abundance of food.

Poaching is rife throughout the park, but particularly near the Mozambique border where $10,000 worth of carcasses including skin and tusks, were found over a period of two days.

An equal number could be crawling around the park trying to nurse gangrenous bullet wounds.  Giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest and zebra have been among those shot solely for their tails.

Although poaching has continued almost since the park opened it has become considerably worse since independence about a month ago, according to Mr Dave Scammell, warden with National Parks.

Their methods are cruel and lethal. “We know for a fact AK rifles are being used as are snares made from tsetse fence wire.”

Many poachers have been caught by National Parks’ game scouts and some have appeared before the court, only to return to their ways after being released.

In a recent case 17 fish poachers were caught and taken to court. They were fined $15 each.

“That hardly being a deterrent, they return to their poaching. We have a serious problem with poaching down here. But there little we can do without manpower and massive political control.

“The law gives us the right to shoot poachers if necessary. We would do it if we had the full approval of the present Government who is aware of the problem. We hope to have a statement soon.”

Many poachers come from Mozambique. They cross the border, shoot whatever they feel like then return to their own country.

Others possibly come from the Ndau, Matibi and Sengwe Tribal Trust Lands and from the Gonakudzingwa Purchase Area surrounding the park.

The bulk of the poachtug is done about 100 km down from the Chipinda Pools National Parks headquarters at the junction of the Sabi and Lundi rIvers

Traditional fishing methods are used mainly. In the Sabi-Loudi junction a fish catch of 38 kg (worth $65) a night is no problem.
“Game scouts are continually being sent out to badly affected areas. We will do everything within our power to stamp out the menace,” said Mr Scammell.

Threatening messages from poachers have been sent to National Parks members. Some staff have been shot at.

National Parks are not the only ones with poaching problems. A farmer near Chiredzi said poaching had always been prevalent but was under control until about a month ago.

“Now the situation is out of control. Fines should be far stiffer than at present. Until there is some sort of Government control, we are wasting our time endlessly trying to stop them. After a few days in jail they return to their evil deeds,” he said.

“I suppose now that poachers have an easy method of killing animals they become blase about it and shoot even though they don’t need the meat.”

There are also the problems of staff shortages and finance for reconstruction before many national parks can reopen to the public.

Although the 2,000 sq km Gona-re-zhou National Park has tremendous tourist potential, it faces many serious problems which have to be solved before anyone can visit the area.

The park also has a large number of former guerillas still in Assembly Point Hotel at Chipinda Pools.

Gona-re-zhou was established as a National Park in 1963 and opened to tourists in 1968.

It was never extensively developed and the roads were never good, but rest camps at Malapati, Mabalauta and Chipinda Pools and camping grounds were available. It was closed in 1975 as the war intensified.

Gona-re-zhou is bordered in the north by the Sabi River and in the south by the Nuanetsi River. The east and southeast boundary is the Mozambique border.

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