Ivory Trade

[PennyinSA]

http://africanenvironmentalpolice.blogs ... phant.html

[Richprins]

28 more cyanide-poisoned elephant carcasses recovered in Hwange National Park
POLICE in conjunction with the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority yesterday arrested three more suspects and recovered an additional 28 carcasses of elephants which were allegedly poisoned and killed by poachers at the Hwange National Park. The latest arrests bring to nine the number of poachers arrested since the launch of the anti-poaching operation, with a total of 69 carcasses having been found so far. The officer commanding police in Lupane District, Chief Superintendent Johannes Govo, said they also recovered several tusks worth thousands of dollars and snares believed to have been used by the suspects. “We have intensified our patrols at Hwange National Park and so far we have recovered 69 carcasses of elephants which were killed by poisoning. We have since established that the suspects are working as an organised syndicate targeting pools frequented by elephants at the national park and use salt laced with cyanide to kill the jumbos,” he said. At the beginning of the month police arrested a six-man poaching syndicate with four of its members based in Bulawayo that allegedly poisoned and killed 41 elephants at Hwange National Park. The suspects, Sipho Mafu (53) and Misheck Mafu (46) of Thula Line in Tsholotsho, Alexander Ngwenya (42) of 7654/15 Tshabalala, Farai Chitsa (34) of A6297 Old Pumula, Nqobizitha Tshuma (25) of 14 Taylor Avenue in North End and Tinashe Senwayo (22) of 2 Hofmeyer Square also in North End in Bulawayo have since appeared in court. Chitsa is believed to be the mastermind of the poaching gang as he was believed to be the one who supplied the cyanide and is thought to be the one in charge of selling the tusks. Chief Supt Govo said they had since deployed teams at various hot spots in the national park. “We are working in conjunction with Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and we are conducting 24- hour foot anti-poaching patrols near the Pelandaba area in Tsholotsho which borders the national park,” he said. Some of the tusks were kept at one of the camps where one of the suspects was detained. Chief Supt Govo said they were now in the process of covering spots with cyanide to avoid the death of more animals and birds such as vultures that were likely to feed on the carcasses of the elephants. “We are covering all spots that have cyanide,” said Chief Supt Govo. Source: The Chronicle

This is scary, more so, as most poaching has been happening more north and east in Zim?

[Flutterby]

Ecological disaster hits Hwange

Isdore Guvamombe in HWANGE—-

THE elephant death toll from cyanide poisoning by poachers in Hwange National Park has risen to 64, amid indications the ecological disaster was the work of a syndicate sponsored by a South African businessman who used the deadly poison to kill elephants since 2009,albeit on a smaller scale, investigations have revealed.

Cyanide, is a fast-acting poison, that was stockpiled as a chemical weapon in the arsenals of both the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, and that requires up to a generation to bio-degrade on a large scale.

The poaching levels, however, reached fever pitch early this year as the nation focused on the constitutional referendum, the harmonised elections and United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly, culminating in the horrendous poisoning that has claimed at least 64 elephants and other game in what Government has declared an ecological disaster.

Environmentalists say the effects of the cyanide are likely to take a generation to wear off as it is assimilated in crops and ground water to affect an even wider area from where it was administered.

The South African businessman who was only identified as Ishmael, reportedly used Chivhu farmer and businessman-cum-ivory buyer Farai Chitsa as his middleman to allegedly distribute 3kg of the deadly chemical among villagers in Pelandaba and Pumula areas of Tsholotsho.

Chitsa allegedly bought the cyanide at US$50 per kg through unorthodox means from a company in Bulawayo, circumventing laid-down dangerous substances procurement procedures that require a buyer to be licensed.

Chitsa allegedly recruited brothers, Sipho and Misheck Mafu, who in turn recruited other villagers into the syndicate that would enter the tinder dry Hwange National Park, make a salt, water and cyanide solution and either poison salt pans, where elephants normally dig holes to gambol on salty soil or fix into the ground metal and plastic containers with the deadly solution. Soon after drinking or gambolling on the solution, the elephants would die, within metres from the scene and there has been huge spiral effects befitting an ecological disaster, which has seen the death of primary predators such as lions, jackals and vultures, among others, after feeding on the contaminated carcasses.

In instances where the poachers used high concentrates of the cyanide, the level of carcass decomposition has been sporadic.
Buffalo and kudu that also frequent salt pans have been killed, although on a smaller scale.

Chitsa has since been arrested in Tsholotsho where he reportedly sought to collect elephant tusks, but ran out of luck, when a kombi he had hired to carry the contraband got stuck in the Kalahari sands.

A combined operation between police and National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers has combed the communal lands and recovered 19 tusks, cyanide and wire snares.

Some of the suspects, including the Mafu brothers, have been forthcoming with information and have since been taken for indications.
“The Mafu brothers accounted for 18 elephants. But the total has come to 64. The other villager accounted for 15 alone. We discovered that some of the tusks had also been sold and for instance, the villagers were paid a paltry US$700 for nine tusks in one incident. They are doing it for that little.

“We took them for indications and they showed us all the cyanide traps and they knew each and every position. They were even leaving behind carcasses with smaller tusks,’’ said Hwange Parks area manager My Trumber Jura.

Police Assistant Commissioner Micheck Mabunda yesterday said the joint operation with parks had been successful. “Our joint operation ended today. It was successful in that we managed to recover ivory, we managed to account for some of the culprits and we managed to get information that we can use in the future. That was very successful in my view. “Going forward, there is however, need to come up with a comprehensive patrol system which uses even helicopter flights. We need greater presence in the areas like what is done on the Botswana side.

“Our Pandematenga Border Post would be the most ideal place to operate flights from. At the moment, poachers run away from flights in Botswana and once they are in our territory, we cannot do the same. An aircraft is needed but of course, in the final analysis, ground patrols are the best for anti-poaching,’’ he said.

This is the first poaching disaster of its kind in Zimbabwe and has forced Government to re-think and come up with new solutions to combat rampant poaching.

[Richprins]

It is coming closerer and closerer!

[Mel]

No doubt about it... There is lots to be gained ( ) down south.

[PennyinSA]

http://elephantleague.org/project/afric ... ict-ivory/

[Twigga]

VOICE OF AMERICA - WASHINGTON DC — Zimbabwe says at least 80 elephants have been killed by poachers who poisoned their drinking water using cyanide in the Hwange National Park a few weeks ago.

An inter-ministerial delegation which visited the park Saturday says the number of dead elephants has risen from the estimated 41 as more elephant herds are suspected to have frequented the poisoned water holes.

Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has blamed the ecological disaster on sanctions imposed by the West on President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF colleagues.

Kasukuwere told the state-controlled Herald newspaper that the Department of National Parks has not been able to access international funding for its operations due to the sanctions.

He said the department is failing to pay salaries and allowances of its 50 game rangers who are currently using battered vehicles.

Kasukuwere said the department needs at least $40 million to get back on track.
Ecologists said the Ministry of Environment should channel more national resources towards the protection of wildlife.

Jonny Rodriguez, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said the Department of Wildlife Management should, in the short-term, try to drive away animals from the poisoned watering points in Hwange National Park to avoid more deaths.

Elephant tusks are reportedly fetching high prices in Asian markets where they are converted into aphrodisiacs and other upmarket products.

In Cameroon, a court Monday found Symphorien Sangha guilty of killing and seriously wounding a forest ranger. The same court will reach a verdict against his twin brother, Rene, on Friday.

Together the two men are believed to have killed more than 100 elephants in central Africa. The World Wildlife Fund says the case shows increased collaboration between regional governments to crack down on the problem.

http://www.voazimbabwe.com/content/zimb ... 56019.html

[nan]

I just heard on the radio... more than 80 Elephants were poisonned and trapped in Zimbabwe
what a world

I found this link : here in English
sorry I don't know if is the best article

[Toko]

There are no EU sanctions against Zimbabwean companies or individuals that would affect tourism in any way

[Flutterby]

Read more here nan:

https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.p ... 0&start=60