Copyright 2000, MSNBC
October 5, 2000
By S. Predrag, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR

HARARE, Zimbabwe, Oct. 5 —  Zimbabwe used to be hailed as a success story in wildlife conservancy, but its renowned wildlife park says hundreds of animals have been killed in recent months by poachers, war veterans and squatters.

THE SAVE VALLEY Conservancy, believed to be the biggest privately owned wildlife park in the world, says hundreds of antelope, two elephants and a lion are among the 1,600 wild animals killed since February.

“We have physical evidence of what has gone on,” said manager Dave Stockil.

Although some poachers have been arrested, police for the most part have just watched and stood by idly, describing the situation as a “political problem.”

FROM SQUATTERS TO SLAUGHTER

The killings started in February, when war veterans, allies of President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party, spearheaded the illegal occupation of 1,700 white-owned farms in Zimbabwe.

War veterans eventually reached the conservancy, cutting down a fence erected years ago to separate wild animals from domestic ones. They then started to clear the forest, which was home to some indigenous varieties of trees, in order to build huts and to start farming.

Soon slaughtered animal meat was finding its way to markets in towns and cities. “I’m already being offered eland, kudu and impala meat,” said one Harare butcher.

And while poaching is still illegal here, it is believed that some butchers are saving money by mixing wild animal meat with minced beef and selling the end product as beef.

BEACON OF ECOTOURISM

While elephants and rhino are dwindling or even disappearing in many African countries, Zimbabwe is home to large populations of these mammals and until now its wildlife officials have mainly had to deal with poachers from neighboring countries.

In recent years, ecotourism — including photo safaris — has become very attractive for Western tourists who are coming to Zimbabwe in growing numbers, bringing with them much-needed hard currency.

The Save Valley Conservancy, which was created back in 1984 by removing the fences between 24 adjacent farms, was projected as a huge wildlife and natural conservation park.

A 200-mile-long electric fence was erected along the conservancy area, which is now home to thousands of antelope, several hundred elephants, and some 100 rhinos, lions and other wild animals.

The farmers who started the conservancy quickly discovered that they were making bigger profits from ecotourism than by cattle ranching and very soon luxury lodges, such as Senuko Lodge, were constructed to entice foreign tourists.

Due to the abundance of certain wild animals and an occasional need to cull in order to keep their numbers down, hunters were offered limited hunting possibilities.

MINISTER IGNORED

But the recent invasions by war veterans and squatters have already chased away many foreign tourists and blighted the future prospects of the Save Valley Conservancy.

After repeated media reports on the slaughter of wild animals, Environment Minister Francis Nhema recently visited Save Valley where he tried — unsuccessfully, so far — to persuade the war veterans and squatters to leave the occupied land.

“This culture of the destruction of our natural environment should stop,” the minister reportedly told them, explaining that the land they had occupied was not agricultural land, but a national park.

But local independent Mugabe officials are supporting the squatters and war veterans, their pre-election allies. Error: Unable to read footer file.