Zebra poachers nabbed
Bulawayo Chronicle
July 21, 2008

VILLAGERS under Chief Jahana area in Gokwe South teamed up and arrested six suspects, including a local businessman, for poaching zebras.
Mr Silas Velani, the Chief Executive Officer for Gokwe South Rural District Council confirmed the development to Chronicle in an interview on Tuesday at his offices in Gokwe.
Mr Velani said the poachers were arrested a week ago by members of the community who were part of a monitoring committee set up last year by the RDC, police and the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to monitor and curb poaching activities.
“Among the six suspects arrested was a local businessman (name withheld) who was sponsoring the poaching activities in the area. The other two suspects are from Mhondoro in Mashonaland West province. All six are in police custody while investigations to establish the market of the zebra hides are in progress,†said Mr Velani.
He said the poachers would use scotch-carts to move deeper into the zebras’ territory to ensure that there was minimum noise.
“After killing the zebras at night, the poachers would skin them and put the hides into their scotch carts. They would then carry the hides to a car that would be parked at a strategic position,†said Mr Velani.
“Some of the locals were also aiding the poachers at times as they would use their scotch carts to carry the hides after the poachers had killed the animals. The poachers are mainly interested in the hides as they will give the meat to the locals.â€
A police officer at Gokwe town confirmed the arrest of the six but referred this reporter to police in Gweru for an official comment.
Mr Velani expressed hope that the arrest of the six suspects would bring to an end the problem of zebra poaching which became rampant in Chief Jahana’s area as from September last year.
He said the local authority then joined forces with the Parks officers and the police in a bid to curb the problem but that was met with minimum success.
Mr Velani said there was need to educate the communities in the commercial value of the zebras so that they continue fully participating in their conservation programmes.
“The is a concession with the national parks which allocates a certain percentage of the animals that can be slaughtered a year. This bring in revenue that helps develop the wards and the district,†he said.
Chief Jahana’s area has an estimated population of 500 zebras according to a census that was undertaken two years ago.
The animals roam within the community.