One poacher killed as Zimbabwean game rangers recover 10 elephant tusks

By Oscar Nkala 10:37 / 22 Jan 2016 GABORONE, January 22 (ANA) – A suspected poacher was on Wednesday night shot and killed by game rangers of the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (PWMA) during a gunfight which led to the recovery of 10 elephant tusks and the arrest of other members of an ivory trafficking syndicate in the Matusadona National Park in northern Zimbabwe. In a statement released early on Friday morning, the Matusadona Anti-Poaching Trust said the raid, which also involved police detectives, started around midnight on Wednesday following a tip-off which suggested that a group of men were looking for customers for elephant tusks. “In the middle of the night on the 19th of January a team of law enforcement personnel infiltrated a group of poachers attempting to sell 10 tusks of elephant ivory. When the law enforcement team (known as the Black Mambas) attempted to arrest one of the poachers, another produced a knife and tried to stab one of them. “At the same time, another poacher who was hiding in an ambush position nearby opened fire on the Black Mamba team who reacted swiftly. A gun battle ensued and ended with the Black Mambas killing one poacher and recovering 10 elephant tusks,” the group said. However, the anti-poaching unit said a close examination of the recovered tusks and updated information at hand proved that they were not harvested from Matusadona National Park as no elephants were killed in the area in the past few days. The group said there was a possibility that the tusks were from elephants poached in Hwange National Park which lies almost 300 kilometres south-west of Matusadona. “This operation is a prime example of just how dangerous these anti-poaching operations can be. A huge respect and thank you should go to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) personnel who were involved in bringing this poaching syndicate to an end. MAPP continues to bring these results at a vast expense and we can only operate as effectively as our funding allows us,” the anti-poaching unit said. The poacher who was killed was taken to a mortuary while his detained accomplices are expected to face charges of poaching and illegal possession of elephant ivory when they appear in court soon in the lake-side town of Kariba. Zambian and Zimbabwean poachers have reportedly taken advantage of the patchy rains experienced in the past two weeks to conduct long-duration operations in the Matusadona, Bumi Hills, Hwange, Matetsi and Zambezi National Parks in the Zambezi Valley. – African News Agency (ANA)

Zimbabwean poaching kingpin freed as police bungle case

A Harare businessman said to be the ringleader of a poaching syndicate was last Friday dragged to the courts on allegations of smuggling six ivory tusks stolen from the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks). George Seremwe, 44, appeared before magistrate Elijah Makomo represented by lawyers Admire Rubaya and Oliver Marwa who contested his remand, arguing that their client was over-detained by the police. The attorneys said Seremwe was arrested on January 13 at around 5 am only to be brought to court after 48 hours had lapsed in violation of his constitutional rights. The investigating officer in the case admitted they had transport challenges and could not bring the suspect to court in time. Magistate Makomo ruled in favour of the refusal of remand application and Seremwa was released. The complainant in the case, Zimparks, is being represented by Chamunorwa Mashange. According to court papers, Seremwe of Avondale, is the owner of Nzou Safaris in Muzarabani. Prosecutors say, acting in connivance with trophy hunter Nesbert Mukora, professional hunter James Mackenzie, and Shephered Guzhe a senior ranger with Zimparks, the suspect allegedly acquired six tusks whose origin has not yet been established. Prosecutors say, with his knowledge of the ivory industry, Mukora purportedly engaged buyers for the tusks. Court heard that sometime in June, Mukora brought Chinese nationals Cong Yuling and Dong Anmin to his accomplices after indicating they had a hunting quota which could accommodate the six tusks they wanted. The accused went on to charge $45,000 and $30,000 deposit was paid. Knowing that the tusks did not originate from his Safari company, Seremwe allegedly went on to engage the services of professional hunters Mackenzie and Joseph Chitambwa to purport that they hunted three elephants, court heard. On June 6, the accused registered two elephant tusks in Yuling’s name at Zimparks headquarters. Registration was facilitated by Gushe who then went to Mukora’s house in Ruwa where the tusks were being kept and serialised them. The accused were paid a total of $60, 000 by the Chinese nationals and shared the money. To cover up the illicit deals, they then applied for a hunting permit from Zimparks for one elephant as per Mukora’s existing quota. Seremwe also applied for an additional permit to hunt two more elephants which he was granted. Acting on the misrepresentation by the accused, Zimparks facilitated the exportation of the six tusks as if they were legitimately acquired from Nzou Safaris. But investigations carried out in Muzarabani Rural District Council later revealed that Seremwe never hunted an elephant since the inception of a partnership agreement in 2011. Prosecutors told the court that as a result, Zimparks suffered prejudice of its good name after the tusks were smuggled to Asia using fake documents. After his arrest, it was also reported that Seremwe allegedly demanded another $20,000 saying it was for a Government minister that he was dealing with to facilitate the documents. Source: Conservation Action Trust/New Zimbabwe.com

Zambian poacher killed in shoot-out with Zim game rangers

By Oscar Nkala GABORONE, January 13 (ANA) – A suspected Zambian poacher was on Tuesday killed during a shoot-out with game rangers in Zimbabwe who have pursued them through Hwange National Park, Victoria Falls-based rhino conservation group Bhejane Trust said. At least 20 heavily armed Zambians are reported to have crossed into the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe to escape a hot pursuit unit of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), which killed one and injured several in a fire-fight at Chobe National Park in Botswana on Thursday last week. In a brief statement released last night, Trevor Lane, chairman Bhejane Trust, praised parks rangers for subduing the heavily armed poacher who was killed in the main camp area of Hwange National Park early on Tuesday. “There was a successful contact at Boss Long One in the Main Camp area of Hwange National Park. One Zambian poacher shot dead and an AK rifle plus 15 rounds and three magazines recovered. “The parks call sign was led by newly transferred ranger from Zambezi Park, Simon Muchatibaya. The new management in Main Camp seems to be producing results,” Lane said. Zimbabwean Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (PWMA) game rangers and a special police anti-poaching unit have been on the trail of the poachers since receiving a tip-off about their arrival from Botswana police last Thursday. The large group crossed into Zimbabwe in the hope of trekking through Hwange, Matetsi and Zambezi National Parks. It is believed they were aiming to reach the Zambezi river and paddle across it into Zambia by canoe. On Sunday, two members of the Zambian group, on the verge of succumbing to heat stroke, surrendered to Zimbabwean police after losing their way and wandering through the forest in a heat-wave that ended on Monday. According to Bhejane Trust, the Zambians have killed one elephant since they crossed into Zimbabwe last week. Meanwhile, Zimbabwean security forces have intensified the search in all the three game sanctuaries. Pickets and ambush points have been set up along the Zambezi River to keep the crossing points under surveillance. – African News Agency (ANA)

Former Botswana president loses 89 zebra to heat wave as record breaking high temperatures persist

By Oscar Nkala GABORONE, January 14 (ANA) – Former Botswana President and wildlife rancher Sir Ketumile Masire this week revealed that 89 out of the 300 zebra at his private farm in the south-eastern part of the country had died due to the heat wave and water scarcity since January 6. The revelation came days after the Botswana health ministry announced an increase in the number of human deaths, from three to five, due to the heat wave. Addressing a press conference at his residence in Gaborone on Tuesday night, Masire said hundreds of other animals, including eland, gemsbok, hartebeest, kudu, and impala, were under threat due to the lack of water, which worsened last month following the bursting of a 32km-long pipeline that supplies water to the farm. “I had about 300 head of zebra, but 89 have died since January 6 in the ranch where I also keep eland, gemsbok, hartebeest and wildebeest, among other animals. “A pipeline that supplies water to the animal reservoir burst some time ago, and with insufficient water, the zebras have started perishing,” Masire said. The former president said he had approached the department of wildlife and national parks with a proposal to de-stock. He proposed selling some of the animals when it became clear that they would fall victim to the water crisis. But, Masire said he had failed to get any help. According to the department of meteorological services, a maximum daily temperature of 44 degrees Celsius was recorded for the first time in 72 years in the northern town of Maun on Thursday last week. On the same day, the capital Gaborone also recorded its highest temperature of 43 degrees Celsius, breaking a record that was set in 1944. – African News Agency (ANA)

'Cecil the Lion' to fly across Africa

As the court case seeking to establish who killed one of Zimbabwe’s most famous felines named Cecil continues, low-cost airline FastJet has named its latest addition to its fleet after the slain predator. The killing of Cecil, a 13-year-old, rare, black-maned lion and a an iconic figure at Hwange National Park caused global uproar from animal rights groups despite little knowledge of the lion. “Our newest addition to our fleet Cecil the Lion (Z-FJE) is taking to the skies today,” the airline announced on its Facebook page recently. 'He’ll be flying to Harare for his final checks, stopping in Egypt on the way, before making his Zimbabwean debut!” Early this month Fastjet, which received an air service permit (ASP), announced that it had increased the number of flights on its Harare – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania route from four to seven, driven by strong passenger demand. The emergence of low cost airline on Zimbabwe’s airspace under government’s open sky policy is now seen as an aggressive strategy to woo big airlines to Zimbabwe that left after relations with the West soured over alleged human rights abuses and violations of property rights after the chaotic land reform program. The aviation sector’s plan also seeks boost the country’s tourism sector. Official figures show that the tourism sector is projected to grow by 5.1%, buoyed by aggressive destination marketing efforts. Thawing relations have seen the western countries, which supply the bulk of tourists to Zimbabwe, relaxing the travel warnings. The country’s civil aviation sees airlines trebling to 40 in 2018 from the current figures. At peak 34 airlines which include German’s Lufthansa and British Airways both landed in Harare. Source: The Independent

Rogue Zim Cecil hunter arrested for attempting to smuggle 29 sables into South Africa

Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) (AFP) - The professional hunter who helped an American dentist kill Zimbabwe's popular lion Cecil has been arrested for his alleged link with an illegal operation to smuggle 29 sable antelope out of the country. Theo Bronkhorst, 52, was arrested Monday in Zimbabwe's second largest city of Bulawayo, police said on Tuesday. "He is facing charges of moving wild animals without a permit" and smuggling of wild animals, police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said in a statement. The arrest came days after three South Africans were arrested and charged for trying to smuggle 29 sable -- a rare and expensive breed of antelope -- out of Zimbabwe into South Africa. Hewitt Edwin, 49, Blignaut Hendricks Johannes, 41, and Pretorius Herbert John, 49, also face charges of illegal capture and translocation of wildlife as well as illegally crossing an international boundary, according to wildlife authorities. Zimbabwean authorities said over the weekend the animals -- which include six calves and are valued at $384,000 (340,000 euros) -- were captured from a private conservancy in the northwestern resort town of Victoria Falls. A friend of Bronkhorst's claimed the animals had come from Zambia and that the hunter had only helped the South Africans secure an import permit into Zimbabwe. "The only thing where Theo was involved is he facilitated their importation into Zimbabwe," he told AFP on condition of anonymity. They moved them and obviously lied to him that they had an agreement to move them to some property in the West Nicholson area," he added. West Nicholson is located roughly halfway between Bulawayo and the Beitbridge border post shared with South Africa. Local media say the smuggling bid was discovered when the cars transporting the animals got stuck on the Limpopo River bed, which divides the two countries. The Zimbabwean hunter was the guide during a hunt which saw American dentist Walter Palmer pay $55,000 to shoot the popular feline Cecil, with a bow and arrow in July. The killing of the lion, who was being collared and tracked as part of an Oxford University research project, provoked outrage among animal lovers worldwide. Bronkhorst was on a $1,000 bail pending his trial on September 28 on charges of organising an illegal hunt which led to the lion's death. Sables are prized for their rarity and long horns, according to Peter Oberem, president of Wildlife Ranching South Africa. "Because sable are scarce... their value is pretty high," said Oberem, speaking from Pretoria. Source: Online

Zim prepares to export 170 more baby elephants to China

ZIMBABWE is preparing to ship at least 170 baby elephants to China as it has emerged that seven Chinese veterinarian doctors are camped at Hwange National Park preparing the animals for the rigors of a long-distance flight. The elephants are destined for Chimelong Safari Park in Guangdong Province of China, which has reportedly ordered 200 elephants from Zimbabwe. In June, Zimbabwe exported 24 elephants to China to fulfill part of the order, but preparations are in progress to send yet another batch despite global protests from animal rights and conservationist groups. The Chinese veterinarian doctors are preparing the elephants for export by, among other exercises, caging and familiarising them with an environment similar to a cargo plane so as to condition them for the long flight, thereby minimising shock and stress during the journey as elephants are known to be sensitive animals. In addition, the baby elephants, which are between two-and-a-half and five years old, are being given limited feeding as part of the preparations. Reports of the presence of Chinese veterinary doctors at Hwange National Park and the exportation of wildlife to China has angered wildlife lovers, including a Liberal Democrat member of the European Union parliament for the South East of England, Catherine Bearder, who wrote a letter to Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Belgium Tadeous Chifamba demanding an explanation. The EU parliament is based in Brussels, Belgium. “I was most disturbed this week to hear reports that staff at Hwange National Park have been suddenly removed from their posts and replaced by Chinese staff and veterinarians. It would appear that this new staff is preparing the departure of elephants and lions from Zimbabwe to China. Last time we met in February, I expressed concern regarding Zimbabwe’s decision to export animals out of Hwange National Park to Chinese zoos,” wrote Bearder on June 25. The parliamentarian has managed to convince the EU to step up the fight against wildlife trafficking by preparing an EU Action Plan. She expressed concerned that the removal of young elephants from their natural habitats limited their chances of survival as they are more vulnerable without their herds. However, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment Water and Climate, Prince Mupazviriho yesterday dismissed the allegations as baseless. “That’s a lie. It is not true. There is no such thing like that,” he said. The exportation of the first batch of animals caused global controversy but the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) management authority of China told the Cites secretariat based in Geneva, Switzerland, that the movement would not affect the survival of the baby elephants. “The secretariat was informed by the Cites Management Authority of China (the Management Authority) on 3 July 2015 that it received an application to import 27 live elephants from Zimbabwe,” explained Cites. “The Management Authority explained that the Chinese authorities had requested and received from the authorities in Zimbabwe confirmation that: the Zimbabwean export permit received by the Chinese authorities was valid and authentic; the export would not be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild; and that the animals would be transported in conformity with recommendations of the Conference of the Parties to Cites on Transport of live specimens.” The elephants’ export come at a time the illegal killing by an American of Cecil, a 13-year-old, rare, black-maned lion and a popular tourist attraction, has caused global consternation and a backlash against Africa’s multi-million dollar hunting industry. Source: Newsday Zimbabwe