Wildlife Slaughtered
In Zimbabwe National Park
By Johnny Rodrigues
Chairman
Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
3-14-5

We have just discovered that for the duration of 2004, "Operation Nyama"
took place in Hwange National Park. For those who don't know, the English
translation of "Nyama" is "Meat". The purpose of this operation was to
provide meat for the people and it is alleged that a quota was issued,
authorizing a large number of animals to be shot for "Operation Nyama". If
the aim was genuinely only to feed the people, it is strange that most of
the elephant bulls that were, and still are being shot, have 60 to 70 pound
tusks and are in their prime. Older bulls with broken tusks are not being
targeted.

We have had several complaints from tourists. "Operation Nyama" was supposed
to end on the 31st December 2004 but we received a report just three weeks
ago from a group of horrified and disgusted American tourists. They said
they saw a National Parks truck which had broken down inside Hwange National
Park and it was fully loaded with dead impala and buffalo. An attempt had
been made to conceal the dead animals with branches and leaves but the
Americans could easily see what was in the truck. They were extremely upset
and said they were going to report it to their government upon their return
to America.

We have had other reports of tourists cutting their visits to Hwange
National Park short because they have witnessed animals being slaughtered by
National Parks staff in the prime game viewing areas. These tourists said
they intend to go to the press and their local Congressman when they get
home.

One of the camp managers in Hwange has threatened to remove his diesel
engines from the park because there is little point in spending millions of
dollars on fuel to pump water to attract the game just so it can be shot for
meat.

Most of the game viewing in Hwange takes place around the Main Camp area but
tourists are saying there is practically no game left there. Some of the
animals have been slaughtered and the others do not go there any more for
fear of being shot. The tourists made scathing remarks about the shocking
state of the roads and asked what their National Parks entry fees were being
used for. There is also very little water being pumped into the pans.

The Zimbabwean government spends millions of dollars promoting tourism on
the one hand and on the other, National Parks staff seem to be making a good
job of destroying what is left of our tourism industry. One of the wardens
of Main Camp has apparently been arrested for stealing eighteen of the
National Parks diesel pumps, most of which were donated by conservation
organizations, and selling them to the "new farmers" who are all now hunting
in the areas adjoining the park.

It has been reported from Amsterdam that the Dutch customs police have
seized a shipment of African elephant body parts including 22 feet, eight
tusks, eight ears, three tails, a skull and an entire hide. The cargo,
originating in Zimbabwe and bound for Germany was halted at Schipol Airport
without proper licences. The body parts were intended for buyers in Spain,
Portugal and the Czech Republic and as yet, no arrests have been made. At
least the dealers have lost their money because the cargo has been
confiscated and will most likely be destroyed.

Everybody hoped that when National Parks became an "authority" as opposed to
a government department, the wildlife would once again enjoy the protection
it had before the onset of the land reform programme but the
irresponsibility of the new National Parks Authority is beyond belief. It
has now reached the point where the wildlife is probably safer outside the
National Park areas because the people who have been entrusted with
safeguarding this precious commodity are the very people who are destroying
it. The Zimbabwean Government should be held accountable for this
destruction of our national heritage.

Are you surprised?

quote:

It was fully loaded with dead impala and buffalo. An attempt had been made to conceal the dead animals with branches and leaves but the Americans could easily see what was in the truck.

They were extremely upset and said they were going to report it to their government upon their return to America.

We have had other reports of tourists cutting their visits to Hwange National Park short because they have witnessed animals being slaughtered by National Parks staff in the prime game viewing areas. National Parks staff in the prime game viewing areas.

These tourists said they intend to go to the press and their local Congressman when they get
home.

PLaying devils advocate & provided the report is totally bona fide' and factual / I dont doubt it, but we must always be cautious on Zims's ...

I wonder if they ( The Tourists ) will in fact report it to the Powers to be in USA and what responswe they might get from them !!!

I wonder if SCI would be interested at all OR are they not looking at smoke and mirrows ONLY at other matters

Regards, Peter

The report is somewhat exagerated. Parks salaries have always been poor and since the Rhodesia days one of the perks has been a regular meat ration - in all parks. In some of the parks like Hwange, where there is big game, this also serves for training of staff, who are routinely sent from stations where there isn't any or enough big game to go and get some experience.

Standing orders are that this should be done far away from tourists!

This being Zimbabwe... 1) I am sure that they are over shooting the quota (yes even ration animals appear on an approved quota signed by the minister of Environment)
2) Being lazy and short of fuel, they are not going into the remote areas of the park away from the tourists
3) Of cource they are trying to keep it hidden from the FT's (Flipping Tourists - the bain of a parks officers life )

Nothing new in africa

The army here often go out and "slaughter" herds of game with their automatic weapons chasing herds down in their jeeps leaving dozens wounded.

Even Parks have a game "hide business" shooting zebras in National Parks to sell their hides..

TAWICO still "culls" in areas where game numbers are already at an all time low.

To them, the wildlife resource is never ending....

I think those "disgusted American tourists" shouldn't have been let back into America. They sound more like PETA people to me, and they disgust me.