World | Other World Stories
Elephant meat used to supplement income in Zimbabwe, say activists
Zimbabwe's wildlife is being decimated by the impact of its economic crisis, conservationists claimed on Thursday.
- By Sebastien Berger, The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2008
- Published: 23:58 August 15, 2008
Johannesburg: Zimbabwe's wildlife is being decimated by the impact of its economic crisis, conservationists claimed on Thursday.
Almost 2,000 elephants have been killed in and around the Hwange national park this year, the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF) claimed. It said the national parks department intended to authorise the shooting of 1,000 more by the end of the year.
Johnny Rodrigues, the ZCTF's chairman, said the information had come from ex-employees of the parks authority, and the killings were the result of a combination of hunting, poaching and an alleged culling programme that he believed was a cover for illegal ivory trade.
"The actual employees can shoot these animals in lieu of wages," he claimed. "It's the only way they can survive. With the economic meltdown, these guys are getting paid way below the poverty line. They shoot the animals and sell the meat to the locals."
Rodrigues said that under an "elephant population management programme" permits were being issued to hunting safari companies to kill animals in santuaries and adults with large tusks were being chosen, with their skins and ivory not being delivered to the wildlife authority's central stores.
International authorities, though, cautioned that a number of "exaggerated" reports had been made about the wildlife situation. Zimbabwe has one of the largest elephant populations in Africa, generally estimated at around 100,000 - although Rodrigues put the figure at about 45,000.
More from Other World Stories
More from World
News Editor's choice
-
6,000 cups and counting: Addicted to that tea
This cafeteria in Al Mamzar attracts thousands of customers daily, including the rich and not so rich
-
Swimming pool horror: Twins hospitalised
Twins rushed to hospital after collapsing from chlorine inhalation at swimming pool in their villa
-
Play your cards right with credit card interest
UAE Central Bank plans to cap interest rates, but are you paying thirty-five per cent now?
