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

48 arrested for rhino poaching in Namibia since June, says police

The Namibian Police Force (NamPol)'s Anti-Poaching Unit has since June this year arrested 48 people for alleged rhinoceros poaching crimes. Furthermore, about 22 of those arrested have appeared in the Okahao Magistrate's Court in Omusati Region during the month of July this year, while an unspecified small number of suspects were released, pending further police investigations into their cases. NamPol's Deputy Inspector-General for Operations, Major-General James Tjivikua revealed this in a media statement availed to Nampa here on Friday. Tjivikua added that the majority of suspects were arrested in farming areas surrounding the Etosha National Park and villages in the Omusati Region, which are sharing borders with the Etosha National Park. “All 48 suspected poachers were initially denied bail when they appeared in the Okahao Magistrate's Court in July 2015 and all were remanded in police custody with no option to post bail. However, some of the suspects brought formal bail applications before court and were eventually granted bail,” said Tjivikua. According to him, so far, the police confiscated 66 rifles that were used by the suspects in the commission of the poaching crimes. These rifles were already sent for ballistic examination and the ballistic results linked some of the confiscated firearms to the crimes. “In the Etosha National Park, I have visited the officials of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, as well as members of the Namibian Police Force's Anti-Poaching Unit deployed at the park. They are all well and vigilant. My next step is the visit to Palmwag Conservancy areas as per programme,” explained the senior police officer. In addition, Tjivikua also took the opportunity to call upon the general Namibian public to continue providing information pertaining to rhino poaching activities to NamPol, as such information will be treated with a high degree of confidentiality. Tjivikua has also revealed the police is now offering a reward of N$60 000 to any person or persons for reliable information that would lead to the arrest of persons involved in rhino poaching activities across the country. Source: Nampa

10 elephant carcasses discovered in Zim trans-frontier game reserve

At least 10 elephants were killed during the past two months in the giant Gonarezhou national park as poaching reaches alarming levels in the Great Limpopo Trans Frontier Park. It also emerged this week that over 700 people from the Chitsa clan were still occupying part of the sanctuary, hampering efforts to deal with poaching activities. The clan moved into the giant park during the height of the farm invasions and has since vowed to resist eviction, arguing that the land belongs to their ancestors. Bodies of the killed animals were recovered this month with some of them being at an advanced stage of decomposition. All their tusks had been removed. Acting Masvingo police spokesman Assistant Inspector Nkululeko Nduna confirmed the development. “We are investigating cases of poaching in Gonarezhou where several animals especially elephants were killed,” he said. “So far no arrests have been made but investigations are in progress.” Although no official comment could be obtained from the department of parks and wildlife, a highly placed source in the department told Zimbabwean that the poachers were allegedly using poisonous substances to kill the animals. “As I speak now we have lost 10 elephants in just two months and our investigations point to the fact that the poachers were using poisonous substances to kill the animals. We are having problems dealing with poaching activities in the giant park because of the presence of invaders from the Chitsa Clan,” he said. Poaching has reached alarming levels in the country’s national parks and Zimbabwe risks being expelled from the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species CITES. Some 200 rhino have been lost since 2012 due to rampant poaching. According to animal welfare groups, among them the Species Survival Commission and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, this loss represents about 30 percent of the living rhinos in the country.

Source: Zimbabwe Situation

Namibia launches new rhino protection initiative

Private rhino protection initiatives will start tomorrow, 24 July, with the training of the first seven recruits who would assist in the containing and exposing of the five syndicates so far identified by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism spearheaded by Minister Pohamba Shifeta. “The time for talking is over. It is now time for action,” said an adamant Jofie Lamprecht, founding member of the Conserving Our Valuable Elephant and Rhino (COVER) organisation. The first recruits will be used on commercial farms and conservancies.” Lamprecht’s statement falls right in line with the government’s steps to eradicate the poaching of rhinos and elephants in Namibia, with recent arrest made of alleged poachers from the five different poaching syndicates operating in Namibia. Earlier this month, Shifeta informed the nation that 41 poachers were arrested, but told Informanté yesterday that the number of arrests have increased since then. “This is however not the end. Many more arrests will be made soon and the ministry will inform the public accordingly.” COVER, consisting of many smaller organisations also involved in the conservation of animals in Namibia, held a meeting with Security Solutions Africa. “This company has the experience in combatting illegal rhino and elephant hunting and offered to train Namibians to capture these poachers,” Lamprecht said. COVER aims to train trackers and anti-poaching units, as well as to promote advocacy for the legalisation of the sale of rhino horns and the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance purposes. Lamprecht stated that the proper training of Namibians as anti-poaching units (APUs) is a necessity as they will face armed criminals that will shoot at them if threatened. “These APUs will also consist of professional trackers and medics to ensure the team is ready for anything,” he said. Shifeta welcomed the training of Namibians against poaching, as long as it is done in good faith and within the legal framework of the country. However, he issued a warning to these companies that conducted the training. “Recruits should be properly screened as to ensure that training is not conducted with members of one of the five poaching syndicates operating in Namibia,” he said. According to Lam-precht, the legalisation of the sale of rhino horns and ivory will help conservation, adding that government might submit a request in this regard to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which will meet in March next year.

“This money can be ploughed back in the Game Products Trust Fund to be utilised again for conservation purposes such as training and equipment.” COVER prides itself when it comes to transparency and honesty. The organisation has reported alleged wrongdoings by one of its members, Next Generation Conservation Trust. Source: Informante, Namibia

More Zim baby elephants flown to captivity in Chinese zoos

HWANGE NATIONAL PARK, ZIMBABWE - After nearly 10 months in captivity in bomas inside the Hwange National Park, some of the 27 baby elephants, some lion cubs and one leopard which were captured by Zimbabwean authorities for export to Chinese zoos were on Saturday transported by road to Harare International Airport. They are, as of today (Sunday), reported to have been loaded onto an Emirates Airlines aircraft bound for Dubai where a connecting 12 hour flight awaits them to China where they will be shared among two zoos. The exact number of animals moved is yet to be established. Newly found evidence suggests that 12 baby elephants and 2 lion cubs are already in China - having been flown out in two batches in December 2014 and January this year. The elephants were transported by Western Transport, a long-established haulage company located close to the corner of Birkenhead Road and Josiah Chinamano Streets in Belmont heavy industrial sites in Bulawayo. It also operates in South Africa, operating a large fleet which trades as Wes-Trans Trucking and is registered in Gauteng.

Some of the Western Transport trucks used to ferry the elephants to Harare last night

A Western Transport truck loaded with containers inside which the baby elephants, aged between 2 and 5 at the time of their capture, will endure the journey to abusive captivity China. Posted by: African Environmental Police

Zim uses suspect permits to exports 12 elephants, 2 crocs to Chinese zoos

The first CITES permit, which has plenty of essential details missing, purports to show the export of 4 baby elephants from Hwange National Park, on 06 December 2014, to Kinjian Safari Park, located on Yinbing Road, in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. The export was arranged on behalf of the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority by Terrestial Safaris of 5th Floor Livingstone House, Samora Machel Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Permit number two shows the export of 8 baby elephants and two crocodiles to Taiyan Zoo of Xianlie Road, South China by the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe in January 2015. This export was also arranged by Terrestial Safaris of 5th Floor, Livingstone House, Samora Machel Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe Source: African Environmental Police/Partners

$6m for resuscitation as Gonarezhou loses more elephants

The Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), a Germany-based conservation organisation has released over $6 million towards the resuscitation of Gonarezhou National Park (GNP) to transform it into a commercially viable business. Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and FZS, signed a memorandum of understanding in 2007 that established Gonarezhou Conservation Project (GCP) as part of efforts to bring back the park to its previous glory. Under the deal, the German organisation would release over $1 million annually to resuscitate GNP until 2020. Speaking to journalists after touring the park on Thursday, the conservation project leader Mr Hugo van der Westhuizen said the funding of Gonarezhou National Park had no strings attached. He said the organisation wanted to see Zimbabwe being able to manage its natural resources without external assistance in the future. “On average, we have been funding Gonarezhou Conservation Project since the end of 2007 to the tune of $1 million per year. What we want is to see Gonarezhou being able to raise enough money to fund itself so as to motivate its workers based here. Ever since the project started, we established so many camps in the park and more people from different countries are making bookings,” he said. Mr Westhuizen said community involvement, especially chiefs and village heads in the project, had seen improved anti-poaching programmes in an area that had seen poachers from Mozambique wiping off rhinoceros. He said plans were afoot to reintroduce rhinoceros in the park. Besides establishing camping sites, an electric fence around the 5 053 square kilometre-area has been erected; eight all-terrain Land Cruiser Trucks, a UD eight-tonne truck; brick making machine; tractors; motorised grader and bicycles have been bought using the funds. He said poachers were now targeting jumbos by poisoning them with termic, a poison used by tobacco growers, which they lace on fruits favoured by the animals. According to latest statistics at the park, 11 elephants were shot, nine poisoned by poachers, while 11 died of natural causes. Reports also say hyenas were being poisoned as the poachers were after their skins that were used for ritual purposes in Mozambique. “With the threat of ivory poaching ever growing and the park being particularly vulnerable through its long boundary with Mozambique and high elephant population, much attention has been focused on increasing security along this vulnerable stretch over the last two years.Permanent ranger pickets have been built, the border road has been cleared of vegetation to allow access to management vehicles and additional rangers recruited and trained – with the emphasis on employing staff from villages in close proximity to the Gonarezhou to ensure benefits also accrue to local communities,” said Mr Westhuizen. The conservation project supports 39 schools in a 10 km radius of the park. Gonarezhou National Park in south eastern lowveld is the second largest wildlife sanctuary after Hwange National Park and was established in 1975. It is part of the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park, which straddles the borders of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. Source: Herald