Chronicle Editor
Angela Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
POACHING activities around Hwange National Park went down last year, thanks to the involvement of local communities in anti-poaching campaigns.
Poaching remains one of the main threats to the survival of painted dogs found in the area. Covid-19 induced lockdowns worsened the situation over the past two years.
A report from the Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) that operates from Dete shows that there was an unprecedented rise in poaching activities outside Hwange National Park as a high number of snares/traps were removed by volunteers in the Anti-Poaching Unit during the year 2020.
Through community engagement programs, more patrols were done last year and this led to a reduction in the number of recovered snares, evidence that poaching activities had gone down.
The PDC report shows that in 2020 over 5000 snares were removed from the bush while 2000 snares were removed last year during patrols.
In an interview, PDC operations manager Mr David Kuvawonga said the collaboration with villagers in anti-poaching patrols came after livestock were getting trapped in snares meant for wild dogs and other wild animals.
“Cattle and other livestock were being trapped in these poaching snares and as a result, community members realised that they needed to stop poaching around the area.
They approached our organisation and volunteered to form patrolling units.
“Because there are no barriers between community land and wildlife land, livestock is in equal danger just like wild animals.
Together with villagers ,our anti-poaching team has provided direct protection to painted dogs, their prey, and the rest of the wildlife, deterring poachers through a boots on the ground policy and removing any snares set,” he said.
During the lockdowns, many rural people faced hardships as many people were rendered jobless.
This led many people in areas surrounding national parks to switch to poaching to survive and sustain families.
In 2020, villagers from the Mabale community in Dete worked with PDC in anti-poaching campaigns and this led to the recovery of a high number of snares.
“After our 2020 patrols with Mabale unity which consisted of a total of 45 members, poachers were reduced as they were now afraid to set up their snares in places covered by patrols.
“This explains why we recovered a few snares last year as compared to the year before.
To date we have three patrol units from Mabale,Dopota and Nabushome who make up a total of 108 volunteers,” Mr Kuvawonga said.
“Areas covered by the patrols include Gwayi farms and forests, Cross Dete,Mabale and Sikumi amongst others.”
Chief Dingani-Nelukoba of Dete area said poaching had cost villagers livestock and, in most cases, animals would rot before they were found.
“We have lost a lot of cattle to poaching.
They go missing and, in the process, get caught in snares. By the time we find them they would have rotten and we fail to benefit anything from them.
“The volunteers taking up the patrols have really helped us by saving our cattle.
Those who herd cattle have also adopted a culture of carrying small axes with them that they then use to cut off snares in case a cow is trapped,” said the chief.
A total of 1 922 snares were removed in 1 193 patrols done last year and eight people were arrested for poaching in an area protected by the Anti-poaching Units outside Hwange National Park.
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