HARARE – The local tourism sector is set to get a boost from the signing of a treaty between the Zimbabwe, Botswana and South African governments which will consolidate the progress made since the establishment of the Greater Mapungubwe transfrontier conservation area in 2006. More online at The Zimbabwean…
June 2009. Zimbabwe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ZNSPCA) are pleased to announce that the ten wild elephants captured by Basil Steyn for commercial purposes are scheduled for release.
This cruel capture resulted in ZNSPCA having numerous meetings with National Parks and it has been agreed that Parks will organise workshops with relevant stakeholders in order to address loopholes and prevent such incidents re-occurring in Zimbabwe. Controls and codes of conduct for the management of the remaining wild elephants in captivity will also be put in place. ZNSPCA commends National Parks on this positive move. More online at WildlifeExtra.com…
Veld fires and electric power accidents remain a nightmare for all during the winter season.
Quite often in an attempt to keep themselves warm many people have put electric heaters on, lit some fires in their houses or in the bush, which have unfortunately gone wild destroying property, homes, the veld and sometimes killing people in the process.
A drive along most highways in Zimbabwe shows that the scourge of veld fire is consuming millions of plants and animal species, as members of the public watch helplessly. More online at the Sunday News…
On the outskirts of the City of Chinhoyi lies a huge sacred pool, whose silence is like that of the innards of a grave.
The silence as one descends into the intricate network of caves is both eerie and profound, yet the grottos and the huge sleeping pool form a spectacular combination in which reality defies existing tourism hyperbole diction.
It is a geomorphological spectre whose grandeur Zimbabwe has failed to market for international tourism recognition. The caves are grossly under marketed that they have largely remained an untapped tourist attraction. More online at The Herald…
Communities living in areas adjacent to Transfrontier Conservation Areas should continue co-existing with wildlife so as to achieve the long-term economic growth for both the country and the communities, a Cabinet minister has said.
Speaking at a Community Day last week at Mahenye Primary School where he officially welcomed the Boundless Southern Africa Expedition Land Rover convoy Environment and Natural Resources Management Minister, Francis Nhema said communities should live in harmony with nature, as wildlife was part of their economic heritage. More online at The Herald…
The 58th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) will be evaluating the results of a controversial legal sale of ivory and planning the agenda for the 15th CITES Conference of the Parties in 2010. Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe held the ivory sales in October and November 2008 under an agreement concluded in Jun 2007 at The Hague, and under the supervision of CITES Secretary-General Willem Wijnstekers. More online at NewsAhead.com…
By Dr. Ross Gordon Cooper © 2009
Stick insects make extremely exciting pets as they are easy to keep, hassle free and grow rapidly. One can virtually use the leaves from any bush to feed them. The leaves usually contain sufficient moisture to sustain stick insects. This book was born out of a desire therefore to reveal the charms of insects and wildlife in Africa. Sid escaped from his container and ventured out into the African bush where he met many animals including giraffe, kudu, warthog, baboon, leopard, and many more.
This book attempts to show the ecological interactions of animals from a stick insect’s perspective. All illustrations were photographed and/or hand-painted by the author.
It makes an excellent read for the young person who is interested in nature and its conservation. Captivating and highly recommended!
Details: Printed: 49 pages, 14.81 cm x 20.99 cm, perfect binding, full-colour interior ink // Download: 1 document, 14467 KB
ISBN: 978-1-4092-8936-4
Cost: £11.84 (paperback book); £3.56 (downloaded from Lulu.com)
Available from Lulu.com: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/sid-the-stick-insect/7310262
MASVINGO – Leading Zanu-PF officials here have grabbed land in wildlife conservancies and caused an outcry among MDC supporters over the manner in which the sanctuaries were allocated along partisan lines.
Environment and Natural Resources Minister Francis Nhema has reportedly already approved the occupation of the sanctuaries by Zanu-PF officials and top police and army officers. More online at The Zimbabwe Times…
HARARE – Close to 1 000 villagers will next month be evicted from Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou National Park to pave way for a multi-billion dollar transfrontier park that spans over three countries.
Harare had dragged its feet on evicting the villagers – who moved into Gonarezhou in 2000 at the height of government-backed land invasions – due to financial constraints. More online at ZimOnline…
Saturday 25th July 2009: Cheetah Day at the Mukuvisi
Sponsored by Maxwell Trust & N. Tselentis
Videos running all day in the Rondavel
12:15 to 14:15: Two of the vesting cheetahs will be on display by the dam in
front of the viewing platform LIMITED TOUCHING ONLY.
13:00: For an hour Talk on cheetahs for the 6-14 age group by a member of
team.
14:30 – 15:45: Adult talk “The State of Cheetah Conservation in Southern
Africa”.
Entrance Fees:
Children US$1
Adults US$2
Limited TOUCHING SESSION US$10
This event is supported by National Parks and the ZNSPCA.
Saturday 11th July: Game Count
09:30 – 10:00: Briefing and Registration Dave Hartung and Kelvin Hein
10:00 – 12:00: Game Count
12:00 – 12:30: Debrief
12:30 – 13:30: Lunch please bring your own braais will be available.
Things to bring with you:
- Clipboard and two sheets of A4
- Binos/compass if possible
- Water bottle
Please confirm with Barbara 747123 or Irene 747859 if you will be able to
come and numbers in your group/school.
They came at night. Half a dozen huge, angry beasts trampled through the village, devouring anything edible and destroying everything in their path.
In a matter of minutes, the small village’s harvest was gone — and the Zambian inhabitants had lost another round in the battle against the elephants fleeing across the border from Zimbabwe.
“This year the problem has got worse. There is nothing we can do. The elephants have become so dangerous, sometimes they even destroy our homes. They eat all the mangoes — everything,” said Edna Mwamubi, an elder who organised the lighting of bonfires to try to frighten off the beasts. “They know the smoke will not last and just go off a little distance and then come back. Even firecrackers no longer scare them.” More online at the Times Online (UK)…
Zimbabwe must consider conservation agriculture as a necessity and not a matter of choice in its farming systems to make agriculture an attractive form of investment that boosts the socio-economic reality of the citizenry, the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Dr Joseph Made has said.
Dr Made was addressing stakeholders gathered for the official launch of the project “Upscaling conservation agriculture for improved food security” in Harare on Friday. More online at The Herald…
Harare — Today all roads wind and snake down to Nyanga, Zimbabwe’s gateway to the attractive rugged and craggy Eastern Highlands, Zimbabwe’s sleeping tourism giant.
Nyanga in particular, and the Eastern Highlands in general, are by far Zimbabwe’s most spectacular tourist attractions outside the Victoria Falls.
With rolling moorlands, cascading water falls, trout-filled lakes, frolicking wildlife, sharp curved and snaking roads, state-of-the-art hotels and English-type climate Nyanga has over the years been under-marketed. More online at AllAfrica.com…
Safari operators have asked Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi to intervene in their dispute with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) over the disputed trophy fees in yet another battle that threatens to derail the growth of the industry.
Operators and ZTA have been haggling for the past two years over the two percent levy on trophy fees which the authority charges operators and the matter has spilled into the courts. More online at The Zimbabwe Standard…
An Oxfordshire vet who has dedicated more than 20 years of his life to black rhino conservation is appointed OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
John Gripper, 79, set up the Sebakwe Black Rhino Trust in 1989 which works to preserve the species in Zimbabwe. More online at BBC.co.uk…
For those of you who have been following the story of Tatenda, the orphaned baby rhino at Imire Safari Ranch, there will be a documentary about him on Animal Planet titled “There’s a rhino in my House”.
This documentary will such a treat for our readers who have grown to love Tatenda. Instead of just seeing him in photos, you will be able to see plenty of film footage of him as well as Hogwash the warthog and Tsotsi the hyena so don’t miss it!
We are not sure what times it will be shown around the world but in Southern Africa it will be screened at the following times:
Thursday 18th June 8pm (tomorrow night)
Friday 19th June 2am
Friday 19th June 12 noon
For more info, please contact:
Johnny Rodrigues
Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
Landline: 263 4 336710
Landline/Fax: 263 4 339065
Mobile: 263 11 603 213
Email: galorand@mweb.co.zw
Website: www.zctf.mweb.co.zw and www.zimbabwe-art.com
National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has started implementing the wildlife-based land reforms in Mashonaland East. Marondera-based Parks board member Mr Jerry Gotora confirmed the latest development. More online at The Herald…
There is no need for Zimbabwe to panic on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species after loosing nearly 70 rhinos in the past twelve months to poachers, Environment and Natural Resources Francis Nhema has said.
This comes after it emerged that Zimbabwe has been placed on the agenda of the next Cites meeting to be held next year. More online at The Herald…
Harare — Armed with picks, axes and hoes, a group of enthusiastic villagers break into song: “Randana kamara wakaipa, Randana kamara wakashata. Watora ufuro hwezvipfuyo, wauraya mombe.” (”Lantana camara, you are evil. You have taken over grazing land for our livestock, you have killed our cattle.”)
They lash out at their common enemy, lantana camara, an invasive exotic plant, also known as black cherry. The shrub, which can grow more than two metres tall, is threatening to take over their fields and grazing land. More online at AllAfrica.com…
The AWARE Trust came into being in 2004 when the trustees were looking for independent funding to perform an important disease surveillance project. Despite the fact that the results of this work would provide crucial information affecting the development of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP), it took the better part of a year to procure international funding for the project.
With each subsequent rejection because of ‘Zimbabwe’ being a four lettered word, the trustees wished there was a local organisation backed up by donors that would be able to facilitate and fund-worthy projects such as this.
With this in mind, the Animal and Wildlife Area REsearch Trust was registered by a local lawyer, with $20 provided by Dr Keith Dutlow as its starting capital. As ideas evolved and the gaping need for specialist wildlife treatment of un-owned animals became obvious, the deed of the Trust was amended to include the word ‘rehabilitation’ in the AWARE acronym.
AWARE works in 5 critical thematic areas, namely:
- Rehabilitation: The Trust provides expert veterinary treatment and rehabilitation to sick or injured ownerless wild animals on a pro bono basis, especially where these animals have suffered at the hand of man. This may include preventative treatment of wild animals at risk from disease, or pre-emptive rehabilitation of wild animals threatened by humans.
- Prophylactic campaigns: The Trust performs free sterilisation, vaccination, and basic health care for domesticated animals living in poverty-stricken marginal areas at interfaces with wildlife conservation areas. The Trust believes that improving the health and welfare of these animals improves the livelihoods of their owners, and has a positive knock on effect for wildlife by limiting the spread of disease into wildlife populations and reducing poaching in wildlife areas.
- Research: The Trust provides facilities and funding for worthy veterinary and ecological research projects, the outcomes of which will provide important data on the status of a species or habitat in a wildlife area. We invite wildlife veterinarians and wildlife ecologists to submit disease surveillance or research project proposals. These proposals will be considered by the Trust Steering Committee.
- Education: The Trust provides animal welfare AWAREness, through animal health and welfare education campaigns for rural people. These coincide with prophylactic campaigns. The Trust intends to start raising AWAREness at grassroots level about the value of wildlife and conservation areas. AWARE believes that it is imperative to promote respect for nature, and compassion for animals from a very early age.
- Capacity building: We firmly believe that the way forward for conservation on a national scale is to have competent, salaried local capacity able to deal with a broad range of wildlife situations.The trust intends to train veterinary and support staff in all aspects of wildlife veterinary medicine through on the job training and continuing education courses.
As a non-profit organisation heavily dependant on external support (in terms of finances, volunteers, and equipment), your donations would be greatly appreciated! If you’re interested in helping, please have a look at this page for additional information: http://www.awaretrust.org/help-us/index.html
To give you a small idea in advance of what your contribution means to AWARE:
£5 = Vaccinate and de-worm a ‘village dog’
£10 = Castrate a male ‘village dog’
£15 = Sterilise a female ‘village dog’
£20 = Provide fuel to travel to wildlife emergencies
£50 = Immobilise a wild carnivore to remove a snare
£100 = Immobilise an elephant to remove a snare
ZimConservation