malvernmugadzikwa
Tanyaradzwa Rusike recently in HWANGE
WATER challenges being faced by animals in the Hwange National Park are now under control, with more than 100 solar-powered boreholes drilled by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) to sustain wildlife during the current dry season.
While seasonal wildlife migrations are common, this year’s mass movement of wildlife started much earlier owing to arid conditions in the national park.
Water challenges in the park are being exacerbated by the large elephant population, which stands at over 65 000, against a carrying capacity of about 15 000.
Speaking during the recent groundbreaking ceremony of the Hwange National Park One-Stop Access Pavilion, ZimParks director-general Dr Fulton Mangwanya said: “We tend to have a serious problem with water around this time and it gets worse during a drought year.
“We have 104 boreholes in the Hwange National Park and two of them are electrical.
“When we faced a problem like we are having right now of water shortages, we came up with a plan to make sure that all solar-powered water holes generate water during the night.
“We also have generators and solar batteries we are using to pump and make sure that we have water.”
He called on stakeholders to partner ZimParks in wildlife conservation.
“The Hwange National Park has an ecological carrying capacity of about 15 000 elephants, but right now we have over 65 000 elephants.
“This shows that a lot needs to be done if we are to continue protecting the habitat in Hwange to sustain the animals,” said Dr Mangwanya.
“Issues like this also require stakeholders to come in and assist so that we work together in conserving our wildlife.”
ZimParks, he added, was receiving support from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
“They have gone a long way in helping us deal with poaching by giving us resources.
“IFAW has also helped in the scooping of the Nyamandlovu pan, which was last scooped 30 years ago.
“We expect a lot of partners to come in and do the same,” he said.
Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu commended IFAW for supporting wildlife conservation.
“Since the agreement between ZimParks and IFAW in 2019, the Hwange National Park has received much-needed technical, financial and material support, whose monetary value is now over US$3 million,” he said.
“The demand-driven support has targeted investments towards crucial conservation areas, including infrastructure development, law enforcement, game water management, community engagement, human-wildlife conflict mitigation and tourism development.”
IFAW country director Ms Alleta Nyahuye said: “In the face of changing climate, it is our endeavour to jointly pursue alternative livelihoods that reduce reliance on wildlife products, improved human-wildlife coexistence and increase tolerance through awareness raising, early warning systems, community ranger support and through our environmental stewardship programme that seeks to support schoolchildren.”
X: @tdrusike
Online Reporter