FOUR elephants were found dead, three of them without tusks
in Woodlands Farm resettlement area on Monday.
The resettlement area is on the edge of Hwange National
Park and the jumbos were poisoned with cyanide.
Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority
(Zimparks) rangers were called in after a boy who was herding cattle saw the
decomposing carcasses at a salt lick.
One of the carcasses still had its tusks intact. The
Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust (VWT)
confirmed that cyanide was used after conducting onsite tests.
Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the
incident and said investigations were underway. “A team of investigators is on
the ground and we are working with other stakeholders including the
Environmental Agency (EMA) to decontaminate the area. The carcasses were seen
by a boy who was herding cattle and he notified others,” said Mr Farawo.
EMA Matabeleland North provincial environment manager Mrs
Chipo Mpofu-Zuze said: “We decontaminated the place with help of other
stakeholders. Three poisoned salt licks were identified and cyanide granules
were removed and the place treated to prevent further death of animals.”
Cyanide is a deadly substance used in the mining industry
and is abused by illegal hunters who administer it in water bodies, salt licks
and fruits to trap animals, especially elephants.
Hundreds of elephants and other species have died at Hwange
National Park since 2013 due to cyanide poisoning. In some cases, rangers have
recovered oranges laced with cyanide placed strategically on trees so that
elephants could eat.
Meanwhile, a 53-year-old man from Mambanje in Dete under
Chief Nekatambe has appeared in court charged with unlawful possession of raw
ivory after he was found with four elephant tusks. Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment