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Conservation body says poaching on the rise in Zimbabwe
Hendricks Chizhanje, ZimOnline
April 14, 2007

http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=1223

HARARE - An international conservation watchdog on Thursday said illegal poaching activities are on the rise in Zimbabwe and are threatening to wipe out the small wildlife population remaining in the southern African country.

In a statement released to the media on Wednesday, the World Wide Fund for Nature Southern African Regional Office said there has been a worrying increase in the killing of wildlife in national parks in Zimbabwe over the past three years.

The anti-poaching organisation said endangered species such as the black rhinocerous were under serious threat in parks managed by the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority with at least 40 black rhinos having been killed over the past three years.

"Despite the ongoing collaboration, WWF decried the increasing levels of poaching in conservancies and in some state parks. This continues to endanger the highly endangered species such as black rhinos, and risk undoing over 15 years of unequalled population recovery.

"Over the past three years approximately 35-40 black rhinos have been deliberately shot for their horns in conservancies, yet not a single rhino poacher has been arrested and convicted, despite available information.

"In fact, such losses have not generated the sort of deterrent action that one would expect from the courts," the WWF said in the statement.

The conservation watchdog said wildlife was under serious threat from poachers and organized crime gangs who supply lucrative international ivory and rhino horn markets.

Poaching has been rife in Zimbabwe since landless villagers, with tacit approval from President Robert Mugabe's government, invaded white-owned farms seven years ago.

There have also been widespread reports of illegal and uncontrolled trophy hunting on the former white-owned conservancies that are controlled by powerful government and ruling ZANU PF officials.

The Harare authorities deny that politicians and ruling party officials are behind the rampant poaching activities insisting that it still has poaching under control.

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