John D Hwange
New member
Hunters with an interest in how sustainable hunting is and in the condition of areas in which they might be contemplating hunting would do well to read the full text of the Zambezi Society's February Bulletin
Here is a link to the Zamsoc Bulletin Feb 2015.
http://eepurl.com/beyMKH
Recent elephant surveys as part of an Africa wide project have shown that there has been a dramatic decline in the Sebungwe region ( Chirisa CHA and Omay Tribal CAMPFIRE areas are in this region) down by as much as 75%. This air survey work tends to confirm ground reports that trophy animals of various species are hard to find in Chirisa where severe poaching and even abuse by state officials has long been suspected.
The Hwange region shows a very marginal increase in elephant numbers - stable numbers in fact.
The only region to show a significant increase in numbers is the Gonarezhou in South East Zimbabwe where elephant numbers are up to 11 000 which is arguably way too high for this park if another serious drought should hit the area.
Zimbabwe's wildlife based tourism industry is so often its own worst enemy as far as public perceptions and overseas marketing goes - recent reports have again dented Zimbabwe's image following the rather crude ( and cruel) wild capture for sale to overseas customers mostly Zoos, of baby elephants in Hwange Park ( conducted in some secrecy to start with - I wonder why since CITES approval for ethical and destination dependent sale of live elephants is not a legal prohibition as such ). In addition, the earlier reports of elephant poaching with cyanide poison also in Hwange and to a lesser extent in Victoria Falls Park certainly put off photographic tourists even though the follow up legal action although swift and seemingly efficient was against the ground level grass roots perpetrators with a number of well known higher level poaching syndicate members not being brought to book as yet!
The distinct likelihood that political considerations including patronage attitudes far override sound sustainable management by the Parks and Wildlife Authority will make hunters and their non-hunting guests also skeptical about Zimbabwe as a destination.
Such a pity as with the premature demise of trophy hunting in Botswana, a well managed and sustainable hunting industry in Zimbabwe was set to become an African showpiece alongside the existing sound non-consumptive Eco Tourism Industry that depends on regular and consistent high bed occupancy rates to cover the high operating costs associated with luxury fixed lodges. Both types of utilization could suffer from poor external perceptions about the state of wildlife management in Zimbabwe!
John D Hwange
Here is a link to the Zamsoc Bulletin Feb 2015.
http://eepurl.com/beyMKH
Recent elephant surveys as part of an Africa wide project have shown that there has been a dramatic decline in the Sebungwe region ( Chirisa CHA and Omay Tribal CAMPFIRE areas are in this region) down by as much as 75%. This air survey work tends to confirm ground reports that trophy animals of various species are hard to find in Chirisa where severe poaching and even abuse by state officials has long been suspected.
The Hwange region shows a very marginal increase in elephant numbers - stable numbers in fact.
The only region to show a significant increase in numbers is the Gonarezhou in South East Zimbabwe where elephant numbers are up to 11 000 which is arguably way too high for this park if another serious drought should hit the area.
Zimbabwe's wildlife based tourism industry is so often its own worst enemy as far as public perceptions and overseas marketing goes - recent reports have again dented Zimbabwe's image following the rather crude ( and cruel) wild capture for sale to overseas customers mostly Zoos, of baby elephants in Hwange Park ( conducted in some secrecy to start with - I wonder why since CITES approval for ethical and destination dependent sale of live elephants is not a legal prohibition as such ). In addition, the earlier reports of elephant poaching with cyanide poison also in Hwange and to a lesser extent in Victoria Falls Park certainly put off photographic tourists even though the follow up legal action although swift and seemingly efficient was against the ground level grass roots perpetrators with a number of well known higher level poaching syndicate members not being brought to book as yet!
The distinct likelihood that political considerations including patronage attitudes far override sound sustainable management by the Parks and Wildlife Authority will make hunters and their non-hunting guests also skeptical about Zimbabwe as a destination.
Such a pity as with the premature demise of trophy hunting in Botswana, a well managed and sustainable hunting industry in Zimbabwe was set to become an African showpiece alongside the existing sound non-consumptive Eco Tourism Industry that depends on regular and consistent high bed occupancy rates to cover the high operating costs associated with luxury fixed lodges. Both types of utilization could suffer from poor external perceptions about the state of wildlife management in Zimbabwe!
John D Hwange
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