| The Zimbabwe Conservation Art Programme | |||
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The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
is trying desperately to raise funds to stop the slaughter of Africa's
heritage — her own precious animals. Proceeds from the sale
of paintings and drawings by members of the Rodrigues family will
be used for the following purposes: |
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| The destruction of Zimbabwe Prior to the land distribution program, Zimbabwe was renowned for protecting its wildlife. Strict controls were enforced and it was a serious offence even to cut down a small tree in a National Parks area. Wildlife populations were counted regularly and an accurate quota system was in place. Game ranchers and safari operators had to regularly submit to National Parks detailed lists of their animals, and accurate hunting quotas were issued to them based on these figures. When foreign hunters came in, National Parks were informed of how many animals had been shot and a portion of the resulting foreign currency earned was paid to National Parks which enabled them to continue operating efficiently. They were able to keep an approximate tally of the number of animals in the country. There are no longer any controls in place and National Parks is bankrupt. A once well-run system is in total chaos. Almost all of the game ranches and conservancies have been confiscated from their legal owners and have been taken over mainly by high-ranking government officials and supporters, most of whom know nothing about wildlife. The landless peasants who were supposed to benefit from the redistribution of land are now poorer than ever. Valuable foreign currency earnings from hunting are no longer shared with National Parks, thereby cutting off their income. Game counts have not been done for the past few years so there is no way of knowing how much game is left. Estimations are based on reports received from game ranchers, most of whom say that they have lost between 90 and 100% of their game to poachers and illegal hunters. Johnny Rodrigues, Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, has just returned from Kariba. In Bumi Hills alone, he witnessed an elephant with a snare wrapped around its trunk, another with three-quarters of its trunk missing, yet another with a snare embedded in its leg, and a buffalo with three legs. He called a veterinary surgeon to try and assist these animals but this is very expensive process. A drug called M99 is required to tranquilize them before they can be treated. In addition to this, the vet has to be paid. There is no way of controlling the poaching because National Parks cannot afford to do anti-poaching patrols. Fuel is hard to come by in the floundering economy and even when it can be sourced, National Parks can't afford to buy it. There is no way of controlling illegal hunting. There is no law and order in Zimbabwe at this time and some of the officials responsible for maintaining law and order are involved in the illegal hunting themselves. Some foreign hunters are bribing Zimbabwean game scouts to allow them to exceed the number of animals on a quota whilst others are merely asked to pay USD50 000 to the new land owner in exchange for killing as much game as they can carry. The destruction is confined not only to the wildlife but to all of Zimbabwe's natural resources. It is becoming more and more difficult to catch fish in the lakes and rivers because poachers are netting fish by the ton out of restricted breeding areas. It is no longer illegal to cut down trees, so the natural vegetation is disappearing at an alarming rate and the river systems are being destroyed by illegal gold panning. The "guardians" of Zimbabwe's wildlife and natural resources are negligent to the point where concerned residents feel as if they are caught in a nightmare. They keep calling for help but nobody can hear them. For more information about the situation and how you can make even a small difference, please contact: Johnny Rodrigues Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force Phone 263 4 336710 Fax 263 4 336710 Mobile 263 11 603 213 www.zctf.mweb.co.zw |
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