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Crisis Zimbabwe - In the News
From
The Herald – April 27, 2009
Rhino
Poaching Puts Zim under Spotlight
Zimbabwe faces possible censure from the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species (CITES) after losing at least 70 rhinos in the past 12
months to well co-ordinated local, regional and international poaching
syndicates. It emerged last week that Zimbabwe has been placed on the agenda
of the next CITES meeting to be held next year. CITES -- to which Zimbabwe
is a signatory -- is an international wildlife protection body whose
secretariat is based in Geneva, Switzerland. In an interview, Parks and
Wildlife Management Authority director-general Dr Morris Mtsambiwa said the
authority was worried by the resurgence of poaching targeting endangered
species such as the rhino. "Rhino poaching has put Zimbabwe in the spotlight
within the framework of CITES. We now have to answer serious questions at
CITES."
Dr Mtsambiwa said
the Parks authority was exploring ways of curbing the poaching of rhinos by,
for example, reviving intensive patrol zones that were successfully employed
in the past to combat poaching of endangered species like rhinos. Efforts
were also underway to recruit and train more rangers to beef up its staff to
cope with the new challenges posed by poachers. Parks was also working with
other stakeholders such as the police and private conservancies to come up
with new strategies to combat poaching of endangered species. "We are also
working with neighbouring countries like South Africa to try and contain the
scourge of poaching and we have an arrangement where we are also seconding
our rangers to private conservancies to combat poaching," said Dr Mtsambiwa.
From
SW Radio Africa – April 28, 2009
Elephants
Flee Zimbabwe as Poaching Increases
Last week a heavily armed rhino poacher, identified as a former army
officer, was shot and killed by rangers in southern Zimbabwe. The surge in
rhino poaching has been blamed on “well co-ordinated local, regional and
international syndicates” and has caught the attention of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), an international
regulatory body.
Read more.
From
The Zimbabwe Times - April 29, 2009
Army moves
in to protect endangered rhino
The Zimbabwe National Army has deployed troops at the country’s sanctuaries
as it emerged that the Convention on International Trade on Endangered
Species (CITES) is mulling a censure of Harare for allegedly allowing the
loss of over 80 rhinos in less than 12 months.
Read more. |