Poaching Cartel Fulfills Rhino Horn and Elephant Ivory ‘Orders’ Placed By Chinese Nationals

http://ecoworldly.com

Written by Rhishja Larson
Published on August 2nd, 2009

A shocking undercover journey reveals that a poaching cartel known as ‘The Crocodile Gang’, led by Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa, is slaughtering rhinos and elephants to fulfill ‘requests’ for horn and ivory.
Dubbed the Crocodile Gang, this cartel - whose existence can be revealed by the Mail today - is behind the ‘industrial-scale slaughter’ of black rhinos, prompting warnings that the species will be hunted to extinction in the region within two years.

And the “godfather” of the poaching cartel is said to be Emmerson Mnangagwa - known by locals now as “The Crocodile.” Also referred to as “The Butcher of Matabeleland”, he is the architect of Zimbabwe’s terrifying state security apparatus, creator of Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Office (CIO) - and rumored to be next in line for president after Mugabe.

Probably risking his life, Andrew Malone, a writer for The UK’s Daily Mail, reports that he went undercover, posing as an overseas buyer of illegal rhino horn to dig deeper into the widespread rhino massacre that stands to wipe out an entire species. What he reveals is an appalling world of cruelty, corruption, death threats - and the consequences suffered by those who have tried to speak out.

The meeting

Posing as an overseas buyer of illegal rhino horn, I was given an unprecedented insight into the sheer scale of the operation - and the vast sums involved. After making contact with the ivory cartel through an intermediary, we were instructed to drive 400 miles south-west of Harare and telephone a number using a pre-arranged codeword. There, after more elaborate instructions, we were told to drive to a remote location in Matabeleland, near the border with South Africa and Botswana.

Mr. Malone then describes meeting with a man named “Gerald” - who operates with members of Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Office (CIO). Gerald has just returned from a “successful” rhino hunt.

The rhino was being killed to order: a Chinese buyer had offered to pay £3,200 per kilo of rhino horn. ‘It wasn’t easy - there is no cover because it’s winter and the animal kept seeing us by the moonlight and running away,’ he told me.

After first shooting the rhino in the lungs, Gerald and his men pursue the wounded rhino for 12 hours. When the wounded rhino lay down to rest at a watering hole, Gerald and his men shot the rhino six times, and then hacked the horns from the animal’s face using the large, machete-like knives called pangas.

Gerald had sold the horns two days before our meeting. When I told him I would pay an even higher price, his eyes narrowed. He said. ‘I will contact you the next time.’

The case of the disappearing docket

Earlier this month, the involvement of Mnangagwa and Webster Shamu, Zimbabwe’s media and information minister, came into the spotlight when a police officer stopped a Chinese man at roadblock - and was found to be carrying six rhino horns, still bloody.

The Chinese man implicated Mnangagwa and Webster Shamu.

Unfortunately, the policeman who uncovered the ivory haul has vanished - along with his report. Meanwhile, the Chinese national was released - with his [horns] - and escorted through Harare International Airport to his plane.

The Zim Daily reported that

… a police docket against two ZANU PF heavyweights — Emmerson Mnangagwa and Webster Shamu — has vanished from attorney-general Johannes Tomana’s office. And, efforts to give Tomana a copy of the docket has seen the police superintendent who was in charge of the investigations transferred from his posting at Bulawayo Central police station to a rural outpost at Nzvimbo in Chiweshe.

Mr. Malone, in his article, explains another prominent Webster Shamu connection, Charles Davy:

Davy and Shamu set up HHK safaris, which offers trophy hunting of animals including elephant and lion, to wealthy foreigners. While almost every other white landowner has been driven from his property by Mugabe’s thugs, Davy … has prospered. A friend of Mugabe, he has made an estimated £10 million from his big-game hunting business.

According to the Zimbabwe Times:

Shamu and Davy were associated in HHK Safari Company until it was disclosed that, far from being a partner in a joint venture in the lucrative operation as widely reported, Shamu was merely a front for foreign interests.

A common thread

65,000 Black Rhinos were alive in Africa as recently as 1970. Now there are only 2,300 total surviving in the wild - and the number is dwindling. Elephant poaching continues to skyrocket.

Conservationists and wildlife experts agree: China’s booming prosperity is fueling the massacre.

Earlier this year, Wu Ming Quan, another Chinese ‘ businessman’, was caught with 500kg of ivory at Harare airport. The tusks were spotted on an X-ray machine at the airport. But the X-ray operator was prevented from confronting Quan by three members of Zimbabwe’s secret police. According to undercover wildlife investigators, the Chinese businessman had paid an additional £2,000 for safe passage through the airport. The X-ray operator was arrested and thrown in jail for threatening to bring the crime to light.

Mr. Malone also notes that a ton of ivory was seized in Nairobi two months ago - it was being shipped from Zimbabwe to China.

Connect more dots with my earlier post “Kenya Wildlife Service Dismayed at Resurgence in Elephant Poaching“:

Earlier this month, an illegal shipment of elephant tusks and rhino horn was seized at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport. Blood on the ivory and horns confirmed that the elephants and rhinos had recently been killed.. The animal parts were hidden in coffins, and were en route to Laos. Kenya wildlife authorities are confident that the tusks and horn had a final destination of China, where the illegal trade in endangered species parts is well-established.

And “Kenya Fears Link Between Elephant Killings and Chinese Construction Projects“:

The Kenya Wildlife Service suspects it is more than a coincidence that a large number of elephant killings have occurred in areas where Chinese crews have recently arrived for massive construction projects.

According to Save the Elephants, the majority of smugglers arrested at Jomo Kenyatta Airport are now Chinese nationals.

The Zululand Observer has now reported the following regarding the poaching of eight white rhinos in Opathe-Emakhoseni Heritage Park (OEHP):

Developments regarding the OEHP incidents have since seen four men and a woman, all of Chinese origin, appear in the Babanango Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday this week, following their arrest inside OEHP near Ulundi. They were found trespassing, as the reserve has been temporary closed to the public, pending the appointment of a new manager for the park. They were not asked to plead to any charges and the case was postponed pending further investigations. Those who appeared are Pingquan Ni (37), Shuiwang Wu (37), Daxin Zhang (42), Xiufu Lin (32) and Meixia Zhu (26). They own businesses in Ulundi.

Just last week, tame, hand-raised celebrity rhino Toliwe, featured in a Cell C TV commercial, became a victim of poachers.

Death threats

While on his mission, Mr. Malone had the opportunity to meet the founder of the Zimbabwe Wildlife Task Force, Jonny Rodriguez.

Jonny Rodriguez, a Zimbabwean former special forces soldier, is one of the few people brave enough to speak out against this government-sponsored slaughter. Founder of the Zimbabwe Wildlife Task Force, a group that works to save endangered species, he has received countless death threats.

Taking steps

There have been reports that the BBC has resumed broadcasting “openly” from Zimbabwe for the first time since 2001. And CNN might even be allowed soon.

In recent years of political and economic turmoil, most Western organizations had been refused government licenses to report from Zimbabwe. Correspondents from the BBC and other media have acknowledged reporting clandestinely from Zimbabwe, at times entering on tourist visas.

These crimes thrive in secret, and will continue as long as there is no speaking out against them.

One of the first steps, then, is to begin talking about what is going on: Help by giving a voice to the rhinos and elephants who are unable to speak for themselves.

Andrew Malone has taken a brave step. Here’s to taking more steps like his.

I believe that Charles Davy, mentioned in this article, is the father of Prince Harrys girlfriend........

What a load of BS!
1) Shamu has never owned any part of HHK
2) Charlie Davey sold his shares in HHK to an American about three years ago
3) Prince harry stopped going out with Chelsie Davey last year.

If they cannot get these bits right, then the whole story is suspect. Yes there is massive poaching, but last time I looked there were some 6 tonnes (yup over 6000kg's) of Rhino Horn in the parks store. Shamu and Munangagwa could far more easily and safely take horn out of the store rather than attract attention by getting involved with poaching.

The poaching is by second tier bottom feeders.

For those who are interested, since HHK comes up quite often. It started in the earlie 90's by G Hingiston, L Hallimore and M. Kock.. The company grew- how I do not know- their early paperwork was shocking (I frequently was asked to try and sort it out). Kock and Halimore sold out to Charlie Davey .

Shamu enters the pictre becuase he inherited the shares to Famba safaris from Richard Makore. Famba safaris had Chirisa safari area. HHK initially sub let in Chirisa (from 1998) and ultimately bought Shamu out. At the time the American bought into HHK Shamu had no part of any of the HHK concessions.

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
What a load of BS!
1) Shamu has never owned any part of HHK
2) Charlie Davey sold his shares in HHK to an American about three years ago
3) Prince harry stopped going out with Chelsie Davey last year.

If they cannot get these bits right, then the whole story is suspect.

I was going to point out that the second article Kathi posted referred to rhino horn as "ivory" and stated that the rhino's "tusk" weighed xx kilos. WTH?

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
What a load of BS!
1) Shamu has never owned any part of HHK
2) Charlie Davey sold his shares in HHK to an American about three years ago
3) Prince harry stopped going out with Chelsie Davey last year.

If they cannot get these bits right, then the whole story is suspect. Yes there is massive poaching, but last time I looked there were some 6 tonnes (yup over 6000kg's) of Rhino Horn in the parks store. Shamu and Munangagwa could far more easily and safely take horn out of the store rather than attract attention by getting involved with poaching.

The poaching is by second tier bottom feeders.

For those who are interested, since HHK comes up quite often. It started in the earlie 90's by G Hingiston, L Hallimore and M. Kock.. The company grew- how I do not know- their early paperwork was shocking (I frequently was asked to try and sort it out). Kock and Halimore sold out to Charlie Davey .

Shamu enters the pictre becuase he inherited the shares to Famba safaris from Richard Makore. Famba safaris had Chirisa safari area. HHK initially sub let in Chirisa (from 1998) and ultimately bought Shamu out. At the time the American bought into HHK Shamu had no part of any of the HHK concessions.

This is why the poaching will never stop. People like you will continue to look the other way as people in power abuse the resources of their country.

Th Slug....Hu? How many poachers have you killed? How much jail time (in a zimbabwean prison no less) do you have for shooting the wrong politicians son because he was poaching?

Poaching is political, and the virtual extermination of several rare species like cheetah and Licheststiens hartebeest as well as Rhino is directly due to political decisions - but the above report is just plain BS. And spreading BS does not help the truth to emerge or stop the real criminals.

quote:

Originally posted by The Slug:

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
What a load of BS!
1) Shamu has never owned any part of HHK
2) Charlie Davey sold his shares in HHK to an American about three years ago
3) Prince harry stopped going out with Chelsie Davey last year.

If they cannot get these bits right, then the whole story is suspect. Yes there is massive poaching, but last time I looked there were some 6 tonnes (yup over 6000kg's) of Rhino Horn in the parks store. Shamu and Munangagwa could far more easily and safely take horn out of the store rather than attract attention by getting involved with poaching.

The poaching is by second tier bottom feeders.

For those who are interested, since HHK comes up quite often. It started in the earlie 90's by G Hingiston, L Hallimore and M. Kock.. The company grew- how I do not know- their early paperwork was shocking (I frequently was asked to try and sort it out). Kock and Halimore sold out to Charlie Davey .

Shamu enters the pictre becuase he inherited the shares to Famba safaris from Richard Makore. Famba safaris had Chirisa safari area. HHK initially sub let in Chirisa (from 1998) and ultimately bought Shamu out. At the time the American bought into HHK Shamu had no part of any of the HHK concessions.

This is why the poaching will never stop. People like you will continue to look the other way as people in power abuse the resources of their country.

What has Ganyana got to do with this?

He just proven to you that the article has so many mistruth in it that one is better not believing anything mention in it.

I've gotta say that if I were Charles Davey, I'd be talking to my lawyer about now and telling him to take action against this and other sites/media etc for slander.

This kind of careless use of misinformation could cause CD and many others a great deal of hassle in times to come.

Damn, but I hate the press!

Steve- Self explanatory...F&%¤#"! Press

DEFAMATORY STATEMENTS CONCERNING HHK SAFARIS (PRIVATE) LIMITED WERE MADE IN THE DAILY MAIL (UK) and THE ZIMBABWEAN, ALLEGING THAT HHK WERE INVOLVED IN A RHINO POACHING OPERATION.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE LEGAL STATEMENT ISSUED BELOW TO THE EDITORS OF THE TWO NEWSPAPERS..

5 August 2009









Dear Sir





RE DEFAMATORY STATEMENTS CONCERNING HHK SAFARIS (PRIVATE) LIMITED





We are instructed by HHK Safaris (Private) Limited in the above matter.



Our client hereby demands that you publish the following statement together with an appropriate apology and retraction, which statement, apology and retraction shall be published in the next immediate issue of The Daily Mail IN A POSITION AND MANNER WHICH IS EQUAL IN PROMINENCE TO THAT IN WHICH THE OFFENDING ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED.





BEGINNING OF STATEMENT



HHK Safaris (Private) Limited is gravely concerned by the inaccurate, false and defamatory statements relating to its purported involvement in the poaching of rhinos in Zimbabwe, which statements were originally published in The Daily Mail, under the byline of Andrew Malone, on 1 August 2009.



In his report published in The Daily Mail of 1 August 2009 Andrew Malone claims that the “…involvement of [Minister] Mnangagwa [in alleged poaching activities] – as well as tantalising links to a thriving safari operation set up by Charles Davy… emerged this month when an over-zealous police officer stopped a Chinese man [who had six rhino horns in his possession] at a roadblock.”. ” Malone claims that this Chinese man implicated Minister Mnangagwa and Webster Shamu, a fellow Minister in the Zimbabwe Government and a “close business associate of Davy”, in rhino poaching in Zimbabwe. Malone then states that “Davy and Shamu set up HKK Safaris (sic)… [which company] … according to reports in Zimbabwe’s underground press … has also been accused of involvement in the ivory trade…”.






The correct facts are:-



· HHK (not HKK) Safaris (Private) Limited is a private company incorporated in and according to the laws of Zimbabwe;

· Neither Emmerson Mnangagwa nor Webster Shamu was involved in setting-up HHK Safaris (Private) Limited and neither of them has any interest in the Company;

· Charles Davy did not set up HHK Safaris (Private) Limited, and he is not a shareholder in the Company;

· HHK Safaris (Private) Limited is a reputable professional hunting and safari outfit, which generates income for Zimbabwe and provides employment for Zimbabweans. It is not:-

- involved in any way in any criminal and morally offensive conduct, including conduct related to the poaching of rhinos or other animals;

- guilty of breaching the laws regulating hunting in Zimbabwe;

- failing to conduct itself as a responsible, law-abiding safari and hunting operator.



From the malicious innuendo contained in Andrew Malone’s report published in The Daily Mail it may be reasonably, but incorrectly, inferred that HHK Safaris (Private) Limited (or HKK Safaris, as it is incorrectly described) is involved in poaching operations purportedly carried out by Ministers Mnangagwa and Shamu. As a direct consequence of this report, and other reports, articles and opinions based on it, the reputation, good name, dignity and business of HHK Safaris (Private) Limited, its shareholders, management and staff, have been adversely affected.





END OF STATEMENT





Kindly ensure we are timeously furnished with a copy of each edition containing the statement, apology and retraction.



Until this matter is resolved to the satisfaction of our client its rights in law are hereby reserved, together with its rights in respect of any other matters raised in the aforesaid articles and any other articles which have been or may be published by your newspaper or by any other newspaper, or which have been or may be published in any other form of public communication. In this regard please take note that Senior Counsel has been retained should it be necessary to institute an appropriate action.



Yours faithfully







M L Taylor (Miss)

For COGHLAN WELSH & GUEST incorporating STUMBLES & ROWE

Don,

Good to see that thanks.

I hope they've also filed a case for slander and a claim for compensation against both the newspaper, the editor and the individual journalist in the UK courts and also made a complaint with the press complaints commission.

Every time these vermin get away with this kind of thing, it encourages them to do the same or worse the next time.

Personally, I'd like to see one of the penalties for this kind of slander being tied to a tree for Leopard bait!

Ya look at the internet site this trash came from (ecoworldly). your normal greenie BS say anything to get headlines and do anything to promote there twisted veiws. Dont let the truth get in there way. A good old fashion butt whoopin would be to easy on them! A Tall tree and short rope would teach them some manors!!!! or a site down on a fire ant nest

Alternatively......... or even better, additionally: http://www.dba-oracle.com/inte...rsonal_liability.htm

If I were Charles Davey, I'd track down every newspaper site that had carried the story and I'd sue the arse off of every single one of the bastards!

If I sound a trifle bitter, it's because I am. Some years ago, I was slandered by a well known UK paper and the antis picked up the story and it resulted in my being targeted in a BIG way some some considerable months.

If I knew then, what I know now, I'd have taken legal action against the newspaper, editor and journalist and screwed 'em to the wall for every penny I could get.

Like I said, damn but I hate the press!

Chelsy Davy denies father is linked to rhino poaching
http://www.telegraph.co.uk

The former girlfriend of Prince Harry, Chelsy Davy, has denied allegations
that her father is linked to rhino poaching in Zimbabwe, in her first ever
public statement.

By Peta Thornycroft in Harare and Sebastien Berger
Published: 11:32PM BST 07 Aug 2009

Miss Davy is Zimbabwean-born and her father, Charles, is one of the
country's biggest landowners. Her background often provoked controversy
during her relationship with the Prince of Wales' second son.

It was rekindled earlier this week when reports alleged that he had
connections to a poaching and trading cartel making a fortune selling horns
to Chinese buyers, prompting her to speak out.

Mr Davy is one of the shareholders in the Bubye Conservancy, a vast
800,000-acre landholding in the south of the country that is home to rhino,
elephant, giraffe, lion and other game. He and his co-owners have invested
around £50 million in the property, which is regarded as well-run by
conservationists.
"I have never made an open statement to the press but we, as a family cannot
sit back and watch my father be vilified by a complete fabrication of the
truth," said Miss Davy.

"Every member of our family loves Africa, its people and its wildlife.

"My father has been involved in conservation since I can remember, few men
are more passionate and practical when it comes to protecting and promoting
wildlife." Bubye, she said, "is one of the great modern-day conservation
efforts".

At present trophy hunting, which is legal in Zimbabwe, is a key part of the
viability of Bubye, with wealthy foreigners, particularly Americans,
prepared to pay tens of thousands of dollars for the right to shoot
elephants and lions.

The Conservancy is hoping to move away from hunting into eco tourism, a
member of staff, who asked not to be identified said yesterday.

"I personally do not like hunting," Miss Davy said, but added that
sustainable hunting was "a very important" part of conservation.

"All allegations about my father being involved in poaching are absolutely
untrue and most unfair."

The claims relate to a rhino trading cartel allegedly headed by an ally of
President Robert Mugabe.

Questions have long been asked over how Mr Davy has been able to retain his
land in Zimbabwe when thousands of white farmers have been dispossessed and
evicted by thugs loyal to Mr Mugabe, leading to the destruction of
commercial agriculture and triggering the collapse of the economy.

But he denied being a friend of Mr Mugabe's. "Never even shaken his hand,"
he said.

He has had "enough of this nonsense", he added. "I have spent a good part of
my life building up game sanctuaries and protecting wildlife, I doubt that
you will find anyone who has done as much for the conservation of wildlife
with his own money than I have."

Mr Davy and his staff are under enormous pressure from gangs of armed
poachers invading the Conservancy in increasing numbers looking for rhino.

Many conservationists in Zimbabwe believe that South Africans are the front
men in poaching operations in Zimbabwe.

The Bubye River Conservancy provides sanctuary to most of the remaining few
hundred black rhino's in Zimbabwe, but even this once safe haven is now
targeted by armed gangs.

Yesterday in the second attack in a week, government rangers and Conservancy
staff were hunting down armed thugs who had set fire to a part of the
sanctuary.

Saturday 8 August, 2009 HEADLINES

Not us, says HHK



author/source:ZWNEWS
published:Sat 8-Aug-2009
posted on this site:Sat 8-Aug-2009

Article Type : News

It does not, it says, engage "in any criminal or morally offensive conduct"

HHK Safaris, the hunting and safari company previously associated with Charles Davy, the father of the former girlfriend of Prince Harry, has moved to distance itself from him. In an article in a recent issue of the Daily Mail in the UK, reporter Andrew Malone described a meeting with an associate of Mnangagwa's in Zimbabwe who offered to supply him with poached rhino horn. The article stated that Mnangagwa, Webster Shamu, and Charles Davy were implicated in rhino poaching, together with Chinese nationals. The company says that Davy "is not a shareholder". HHK says it "does not own any conservancy, nor is involved in any way with the poaching of rhinos or any other animals." It denies that Mnangagwa or Shamu has any interest in HHK safaris. It does not, it says, engage "in any criminal or morally offensive conduct".