Zimbabwe illegal occupiers destroy animal reserve
By ANGUS SHAW (AP) – 2 hours ago

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Illegal occupiers on an animal reserve in southern Zimbabwe have killed hundreds of animals and torn down several miles (kilometers) of protective fencing, a conservation group said Friday.

Investigators of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force who visited the reserve near the southern border town of Beit Bridge and the Limpopo river reported the occupiers slaughtered 300 zebra for their skins in the last two months. Seven African antelope were killed this week.

The group said the owner of the reserve won a court order to evict the occupiers but it was ignored.

Four miles (7 kilometers) of specialized 16-strand game fencing — 70 miles (112 kilometers) of wire in all — were stolen to make animal traps and snares, the group said.

"It is tragic. Authorities have failed to enforce the judicial order and the slaughter is ongoing," said Johnny Rodrigues, head of the task force.

The population of zebra in the formerly private run wildlife conservancy dropped from about 870 to just 160 — a loss of 710 animals — the group said. Nearly 560 eland, Africa's largest antelope, have also been killed, it said.

Investigators saw zebra skulls lined up along a path and suspected the skins were smuggled to neighboring South Africa where poaching syndicates operate.

Wildebeest, also known as the gnu with its ox-like head and a horse-like mane, were slaughtered too, they said.

The occupiers claimed to be members of a Zhove Conservancy Cooperative but it was not a genuinely registered group. Investigations showed it comprised mostly of loyalists of President Robert Mugabe's party and local officials engaged in often violent seizures of white-owned land for the past decade.

Rodrigues said 480 acres (200 hectares) of trees, standing for some 300 years, were burnt down and the low rainfall area was only suitable for wildlife.

"The ecosystem there is now so fragile that if the land is tilled the soil will end up in the river" nearby, he said.

Despicable. Do you know how close this is to Sentinel Ranch by any chance?

Just a new day in Africa. The brothers don't see animals, they see meat and cash. It is hard to understand the brothers. Unfortunately we had the the Rhino poachers degrading themselves to the same level and even lower. Mind boggling, the color of money sure changes the way humans operate. It worries me that my son aged 7 will not be able to hunt my beloved Africa with me since it will be stripped by the greed of man.

I gather it is Sentinel...

It makes my blood boil to read such accounts. Too bad when Rhodesia’s bush war was on we (UK) imposed sanctions against the country instead of helping them, now we see the results. With my father’s generation Loyal Rhodesians volunteered to serve the “Crown” (Many in my Father’s squadron). Sadly in my generations time any Englishman who wanted to help Rhodesia during the “Bush war” was seen as a despicable mercenary.

Why can’t all the animal welfare activists actually attempt some useful and bring the world’s attention to the situation.

Thank you Ganyana,that's what it sounded like to me also although I still hope I'm wrong.

I am planning a suprise 16th birthday DG hunt for my son and had my choices narrowed to Sentinel or Savuli - I have talked to many references for Sentinel and they all loved it.....I do understand its Africa/meat/money, man-in-general, etc,etc - but still such a pity regardless of where it takes place......

best regards, mark

quote:

Just a new day in Africa. The brothers don't see animals, they see meat and cash. It is hard to understand the brothers.

Brothers hell...they ain't my brothers!

http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/sep24_2010.html


Click on ZCTF Report Sept. 2010 for photos.

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/sep24_2010.html


Click on ZCTF Report Sept. 2010 for photos.

Wow...like I said...they AIN'T my brothers!

+1!

quote:

Originally posted by Anton van der Spek:
Just a new day in Africa. The brothers don't see animals, they see meat and cash. It is hard to understand the brothers. Unfortunately we had the the Rhino poachers degrading themselves to the same level and even lower. Mind boggling, the color of money sure changes the way humans operate. It worries me that my son aged 7 will not be able to hunt my beloved Africa with me since it will be stripped by the greed of man.

I do not understand your logic. The Rhino poachers are not "brothers". So are they worse than "brothers"? Have their kind not been the original architects of destruction around the world?

While the global environment is being destroyed by irresponsible and corrupt corporates like BP & others, you whinge about "brothers"!!

quote:

Originally posted by John Hipwell:
It makes my blood boil to read such accounts. Too bad when Rhodesia’s bush war was on we (UK) imposed sanctions against the country instead of helping them, now we see the results. With my father’s generation Loyal Rhodesians volunteered to serve the “Crown” (Many in my Father’s squadron). Sadly in my generations time any Englishman who wanted to help Rhodesia during the “Bush war” was seen as a despicable mercenary. At least I shipped them a few guns, quiet now, did I say that.

Why can’t all the animal welfare activists actually attempt some useful and bring the world’s attention to the situation.

I can see this thread being moved to the political forum very soon! Why do these discussion have to always go down this stupid track of black versus white & the whites are the good guys?

Hitler was not a "brother" & neither were Hirohito, Mussolini, Stalin, Bomber Harris, Ian Smith, Jan Smutts, General Dwyer or 90% of the tyrannical monsters of history as we know it today. Are you forgetting that the Apartheid regime was supporting Hitler? On whose side was Ian Smith?

If the English had kicked out Ian Smith and the Americans had put pressure on Apartheid in the 50's, Africa would have had fewer radical idiots now who can justify their actions. It was Smith's intransigence that lead to the bush war. If the UK & US had championed human rights in Africa in the 40's & 50's, the Communists would have had no foot hold there in the first place.

This is not an animal welfare issue but the result of a failed society with no options for humans. The West had an opportunity for 500 years to build up Africa but just exploited it and walked out & now you blame the "brothers" for this!

If GWB had gone into ZIM instead of Iraq and spent a fraction of the Iraq expenses on Zim, the results would have been far better for human kind. Even better, the West should have gone into Southern Africa in 1945 & liberated all human beings there irrespective of "brothers" or animals.

EDITED:

Oh....and regarding hunting etc....when SCI & its negative issues cannot be resolved how is any animal rights groups going to influence Zim? It is the BIG FISH like SCI & its top brass who are the real problem. They represent us in such poor light! No "brothers" there too!

I hope it's not the Sentinel, I hunted there in 2000. What a way to start out hunting Africa. My son and I hunted plains game right after the guys from Northwest Hunters filmed an archery hunt with Digby Bristow. I s Digby still operating the Sentinel? the last I heard he had leased it back from the government.

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:

quote:

Originally posted by Anton van der Spek:
Just a new day in Africa. The brothers don't see animals, they see meat and cash. It is hard to understand the brothers. Unfortunately we had the the Rhino poachers degrading themselves to the same level and even lower

. Mind boggling, the color of money sure changes the way humans operate. It worries me that my son aged 7 will not be able to hunt my beloved Africa with me since it will be stripped by the greed of man.

I do not understand your logic. The Rhino poachers are not "brothers". So are they worse than "brothers"?

If you re-read his post that is exactly what he said.

quote:

Hitler was not a "brother" & neither were Hirohito, Mussolini, Stalin, Bomber Harris, Ian Smith, Jan Smutts, General Dwyer or 90% of the tyrannical monsters of history as we know it today. Are you forgetting that the Apartheid regime was supporting Hitler? On whose side was Ian Smith?

Nakihunter

A few corrections:
Jan Smuts also called Slim Jannie was one of the youngest Boer generals in the Anglo Boer war. When the second world war broke out he fought on the side of British, a very able General"

The Afrikaners did not exactly support Hitler. They fought a war against the English 40 Years prior to world war 2. When the big war broke out a lot of men that fought in that war was still alive. Due to the atrocities that took place in Concentration camps, the fact that they had to swear alliance to the crown before they were allowed to be repatriated from Islands like Saint Helena where their circumstances was to say the least horrible. This caused a lot of boers to support the enemy of their enemy.

Apartheid was created in 1948 by Dr DF Malan. That was after the world war. The so-called Apartheid regime therefore did not support Hitler, no my friend the ex-soldiers that fought against the English supported Germany. By the way one of the only countries that supported the boers with weapons (7x57 Mauser) in the time when a hand full of indigenous people where attacked by the might of the empire was the Germans.

Keep in mind that Ian Smith was of British origin while most of the boers are mainly of Dutch origin with French German English and even a speck of Hottentot blood in our veins.

I believe Ian Smith was a very dynamic and capable leader, maybe Sir you have the chip on the shoulder that categorize people. To mention the people you have and to be quiet about Robert Mugabe is proving the angle you are approaching this debate. Now in my country there is more 4000 000 refugees from Zim. If you approach them they will tell you that the past regime was better than the dispensation they have now. And with that, I don't say what was, was all good. I am the first to admit certain mistakes were made in the past. To return to the thread I responded to. I did not intend to make this a white black issue, however I am worried about the wholesale slaughter of my countries natural resources. I am worried that my boy child will not be able to indulge in this wonderful sport, tradition, culture, past-time called hunting.

Yours sincerely
A white african hunter

Ian Smith flew Hawker Hurricanes and later Spitfires for the RAF in WWII.

He was shot down in Italy and avoided capture and worked with the resistance for something like 5 months before managing to get back to British lines.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Smith

Incidentally, whilst I don't think the Zim situation had anything to do with GWB, I do think that Bliar and for that matter previous Brit governments should have gone into Zim years ago. But typically, the Brit govts and politicians (perhaps with the exception of Thatcher) have about as much backbone as a jellyfish.

Probably a few of Bob Mugab's "war veterans".
I did what I could in 77-78.
All I can tell you is there's 2 less "war veteran's" around now to pull this kind of stuff.
Send a thank you note to Jimmy Carter and Andrew Young.
God Bless Ian Smith- R.I.P.

Geez Naki, you really do not have a clue. You should be here watching the ruling party trying to figure out how to steal the mines, and it goes on and on,life included. 16800 murders in one year according to the latest statistics. Hurrah for the liberals who helped the "comrades."

Anton, thanks for the balanced response & the correction. I learned something from you. My comments were not (mostly) directed at your post. I just find it annoying when racial comments are made on the hunting forums. If that was kept to the Politics forum I have no problem.

Scriptus - please see my comments above. Just as Anton said, people & cultures with varying experience will have varying views. The Boers supported the Germans because they were brutalised by the English and helped by the Germans in the past. Mugabe is obviously a terrible tyrant. Just don't put all Africans or Zims or non Europeans into such stereo types. It was the racist Apartheid & Ian Smith regimes which forced the freedom fighters to look for a common enemy (like Anton said) - in this case it was unfortunately the commies.

If you look at global history & not just Western history, you will understand better the role that many major developing countries played in balancing the influence of the West and the communist countries over the last 60 to 100 years. Today India is approaching the status of a major power. If the West had been less imperialistic in the 50s, 60s & 70s, China & Pakistan would have been less of a problem today and Al Qaida would not have got its stronghold in the sub-continent like it has now. The Mugabes and the Bin Ladens are the result of poor policies of the colonials & imperialists of the past. The Western powers just looked at current benefits & not future consequences. Also remember that for every mine or property that is stolen there were many generations and civilizations that were stolen in the past. If human rights were protected 60 years ago you would not have this mess now. Mugabe would have been a university professor or a goat herder.

Back to the thread, a pity that a fine hunting property has been destroyed.