Zimpapers invites you to an exclusive event at the scenic Zimparks Gardens.
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Zimpapers invites you to an exclusive event at the scenic Zimparks Gardens.
Click the image above or link provided..
From Left to right - Mr. E. Katiyo, Ms.R. Makuva, Mr. C. Chaitezvi, Mr. D. Guri,
Ms. I. Mutize and Mr. Munetsi.
Zimparks rolls out 6 proffessional officers who graduated at Mushandike College of Wildlife in Para-Military skills training. The crew comprises 2 Female officers and 4 males from various disciplines. The function was graced by the Principal Mr. D Chitupa and guest of honour Mr. T. Kuguyo representing the Director General - Mr. F.U Mangwanya.
The team completed intense para-military skills training in the shortest period of time and it marks the entry of new blood, skill set in the organisation to achieve its future endevours.
Insert from Mushandike..
The second edition of the three nations Wildrun tourism expedition was successfully held in the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area (GMTFCA), with 80 tourists drawn from Sweden, Arizona and South Africa participating.
The GMTFCA is made up of national parks from Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.
The Wildrun, which was held from Wednesday last week to Sunday, saw the number of participants doubling from 39 to 80 this year. The tourists had the opportunity to run following the treks of wild animals in the park for 90 kilometres.
South Africa’s Department of Environment marketing manager for national parks, Mr Roland Vorwek, said the event was aimed at developing community-based tourism.
Said Mr Vorwek; “This was a memorable event, we are very happy with the level of coordination and cooperation by stakeholders from the three nations. “The whole idea is to promote tourism in the TFCA, as well as develop community-based tourism. We are overwhelmed with the number of tourists who made it this year and are looking at making the Wildrun an annual event. It is also important for us to continue introducing new tourism products in the GMTFCA so that we boost arrivals throughout the year.”
Mr Vorwek said the participants traversed the three countries under the guidance of parks rangers from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana.
He said they employed 18 people from the Maramani area to assist with logistical issues and camp management.
The tourists, who entered the country through a temporary tourism border, were based on the Zimbabwean component of the mega park, which is surrounded by communities.
insert from Herald | Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) are conducting joint operations meant to curb poaching around the country. It is believed that Zimparks is also pushing for a law that criminalises cyanide possession – a lethal chemical that is used to poison wildlife – especially in areas where there are no mining activities. Over the years, Hwange National Park has become the prime target for poachers who use cyanide to poison animals, especially elephants.
In an interview yesterday, Zimparks public relations manager Mr Tinashe Farawo said poaching declined markedly over the past four months, particularly in Hwange.
He noted that poaching activities had largely been contained as a result of support from the new political administration.
“Some of the reasons that have led to the decrease in poaching cases are that there is now political will from the highest office to deal with poaching,” said Mr Farawo.
“Since the coming in of the new leadership, poaching has been going down.”
Mr Farawo said so far this year, Zimparks had not received any reports of poaching involving cyanide poisoning or through use of rifles.
According to Mr Farawo, joint operations between police and the wildlife management body were being successful.
“We are having positive results and we are also embarking on awareness campaigns with the judiciary and various stakeholders,” he said.
“The judiciary has also been very supportive. We are, however, in the process of lobbying for a Statutory Instrument that will make it an offence to possess cyanide, especially in non-mining areas.”
Last year, 640 poachers were arrested across the country, of which 590 were locals and 50 were foreigners.
Also, 50 rifles and 112 rounds of ammunition were recovered.
It is understood that more than half the arrested poachers have since been convicted.
Statistics indicate that about 893 elephants were killed in Matabeleland North province between 2013 and 2016.
Zimbabwe has arguably the largest elephant population in Africa at 84 000, with the figure being 34 000 more than the country’s carrying capacity.
Click here to submit human & Wildlife conflict information
Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu (36), from Kasibi village, Matetsi in Hwange was arrested for illegally possessing and dealing a live pangolin for one thousand dollars at Matetsi River Bridge on the 19th of March 2018.
The arrest was confirmed by the police on Sunday.
“Information was received from a usual informant about a man who had a live pangolin, selling it to any willing buyer for one thousand dollars.”
The information was confirmed by the dealer himself when he was contacted undercover, and a deal was struck.
On the 19th of March at 8pm, three of National Parks’ Investigations Officers, together with one officer from Mineral and Border Control Unit went to Matetsi River Bridge where the supposed buyers were to meet with the accused to complete the deal.
With the advantage of the element of surprise they were able to apprehend the accused, along with the pangolin alive in a brown sack which the accused was carrying it in.
Accused Ndlovu was charged of breaking section 128 (1) (b) of the Parks and Wildlife Act Chapter 20; 14 “Illegal possession/ dealing of live pangolin.’
The apprehended pangolin was used as an exhibit at Hwange Magistrate court on the 20th of March 2018, and was later released back to the wild.
The accused pleaded guilty at his court appearance and his he will be sentenced on the third of April 2018, with the allowance for him to present any special circumstances that may have been at par.
Apprehended live pangolin.
Pangolins are specially protected animals under the Parks and Wildlife Act 20; 14, therefore the expected sentence could go as far as 12 years in prison.
The unnamed informant is to be rewarded for his courage and timeliness to report the information which saved the pangolin.
Insert by - Munkuli Godfrey | Bulawayo Regional Office | Western Region
I felt like a downright trailblazer as I trekked through the grassy plains of Zimbabwe’s Matobo National Park, hopscotching over fallen branches and crunchy, dried leaves.
Up ahead, a group of fellow explorers had formed a tight semicircle, with their eyes fixed to the ground and grins stretching from ear to ear. I picked up my pace and caught up, only to be met with a steaming pile of … poop.
The fanfare had nothing to do with the dung itself, but rather what it represented. These droppings were fresh; they had been left by an adult southern white rhino that was likely just minutes ahead of us on the trail. At that moment, we made a silent pact: move swiftly, remain quiet and, hopefully, see one of these majestic creatures up close.
Don’t let the name fool you — white rhinos aren’t “white,” but rather light gray in color. They are also much larger than their darker counterparts and have a longer head and wider mouth, according to Jay Parmar, owner of U.S.-based tour operator Wander Africa. Another helpful identifier? You guessed it: the animal’s poop. While the waste of black rhinos is made of splint-like materials — usually chopped off at a 45-degree angle — white rhinos will produce a much grassier manure.
The park, which is located in central Zimbabwe, has populations of both black and southern white rhinos. We were tracking the latter — a species of grazers introduced to the area in 1964 from neighboring South Africa, according to Emmerson Magodhi, tourism manager for Matobo. White rhinos are found in multiple parts of the park, while black rhinos are confined to a special game area. An Intensive Protection Zone distinction protects these creatures from poachers, and armed security rangers patrol 24 hours per day (we were accompanied by one such ranger throughout our visit).
Matobo also attracts tourists for its many hiking trails, unique landscape and rich history; the land features rock art left by ancient dwellers and is home to the grave of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes. It’s also only about a 40-minute drive from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city and an international hub serviced by South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates and more.
Tracking rhinos here is much like a game of hide-and-seek, and it’s a task made easier by using the animal’s “natural” clues, and the fact that these so-called “hiders” tend to move very slowly, only changing sleeping positions once every 30 to 40 minutes.
“Rhino tracking is one of those rare opportunities in life for tourists to come close to an animal that is a ‘world over’ while in its natural environment,” Magodhi said. “It is one of the most adventurous experiences one can do in their lifetime.”
We walked for just five minutes more, and then we saw them: two white rhinos, their slate-gray hue serving as a form of camouflage against a background of towering granite rocks. The pair patiently allowed us to play paparazzi — not a bad ending to our grown-up game of hide-and-seek.
Booking Tips
A rhino-tracking experience needs to be booked with the park at least one or two days in advance. Those interested in reserving this should contact park officials at [email protected] or [email protected].
Emmerson Magodi - extract from travelagewest - http://www.travelagewest.com/Travel/Adventure-Travel/A-Guide-to-Tracking-Rhinos-in-Zimbabwe/#.WqqFhGZ7HOQ
This year’s World Wildlife Day in Zimbabwe will be commemorated jointly with the 28th Africa Environment Day and Wangari Maathai Day. The event will be hosted by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife authority, Environmental Management Agency,and Forestry Commission on the 3rd of March 2018, at the Africa Unity Square in Harare.
Parks and Wildlife Management Authority invites tenders from suitable and reputable suppliers of patrol boots.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) may be collected from Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Head Quarters upon payment of US$10.00 non-refundable fee. Bids in sealed envelopes should be addressed to The Procurement Committee, Parks and Wildlife management Authority, P.O Box CY140 Cause-way Harare or can be delivered to The Procurement Committee, Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Corner Borrowdale Road and Sandringham Drive Harare, not later than 10.00hrs on the closing date shown below
| TENDER NUMBER | DESCRIPTION | CLOSING
DATE |
|
| PWMA/01/2018 | SUPPLY AND DELIVERY | 13.03.2018 | |
| OF 2500 PATROL BOOTS | |||
The closing Date for submission of Bids is 13 March 2018 at 10.00am. Bidders are free to witness the opening of the tender on the closing date and time at The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Head Office Lecture Theatre, Corner Borrowdale Road and
Please be informed that with effect from the 1st of January 2018, the 30% SADC discount has been phased out.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority would like to take this opportunity to thank all its clients in the SADC region for their continued support towards the promotion of tourism in Zimbabwe.
For more information, please feel free to contact the Customer Services Office on the following contact details:
Calls: +263 772 111 846
WhatsApp: +263 776 134 164
Email: [email protected]
Inset from Zimpapers.
THE Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority last week shot dead a hippopotamus that was damaging winter wheat in Nyanyadzi. The hippo, which had a calf, is believed to have escaped from Save Conservancy. ZPWMA ordered the shooting of the hippos after traditional leaders in the area reported that it was damaging crops and endangering lives. ZPWMA officer, Mr John Danfa, said they were still hunting for the calf which is believed to have found habitat along Save River. “Usually hippos move up and down rivers during the rainy season. We believe the two escaped from Save Valley Conservancy. They were both females and they do not usually click if there is no male.
“They are believed to have separated. We received reports from traditional leaders in Hot Springs and Nyanyadzi that these hippos were feeding on wheat and crops in their fields.” “People’s lives were endangered so the authorities ordered its killing. The first time we attempted to kill it, it was in the company of so many cattle and could not do anything.
Our officer teamed up with villagers to track it until last week when it was shot down in Nyanyadzi”. The officer is said to have fired 12 shots before the hippo died. The meat was shared by villagers. One of the villagers in Dirikwe village, Mr Tapiwa Munyati, said: “This hippo was becoming a threat to human lives in the area. It was being spotted near homes at night.
“There are vegetable gardens along one of Save River’s tributaries where it was being spotted.“We were told that hippos do not like light and the danger was that lives would have been lost.” “A villager survived death by a whisker recently when the hippo strayed into his homestead.“He went out of his house to investigate when his dogs were barking. He had a torch and the hippo advanced towards him. “Fortunately he managed to escape the attack and notified other villagers and the village head. We are appealing to the responsible authorities to make sure that the remaining one is also killed,” said Mr Munyati.