Zimbabwe: Parks Authority Suspends Hunting in Conservancies

The Herald (Harare)

May 3, 2006
Bulawayo Bureau
Harare

THE Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has suspended hunting in conservancies to allow for the improvement of the quality of trophy.

In an interview, parks public relations manager Retired Major Edward Mbewe said the authority stopped hunting in conservancies such as Gwayi and Matetsi about three weeks ago to allow hunting trophy to improve. "We cannot allow people to continue hunting because we want the animals to be more mature before hunting can resume," he said. "We want to improve the quality of the trophies."

Rtd Maj Mbewe urged rural communities to avoid killing lions whenever the animals strayed into the communal areas. "Villagers should report any stray lions instead of killing the animals. Lions are favoured by hunters and, thus, generate a lot of foreign currency during hunting seasons," he said. On lions which killed cattle in Hwange District, Rtd Maj Mbewe said officers from his department have since captured the animals and relocated them to Hwange National Park. Rtd Maj Mbewe said there have been complaints from tourists that there were few species in the Hwange National Park because of drought.

He said such reports were not true because the animals have moved into thick forests due to heavy rains, which have resulted in the improvement of water supplies. Scores of animals died last year as a result of drought. Meanwhile, Rtd Maj Mbewe said the authority was rehabilitating boreholes and pumps in all national parks. "There has been drought in recent years and the pumps overworked and that is why they wore out quickly. We are trying to boost the equipment, especially water engines before the onset of the next rainy season," he said.

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