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Business Reporter
THE Minister of Environment, Water and Climate Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri this week officially launches a new 40,000-hectare wildlife conservancy in Shangani, Insiza District.
The project, a brainchild of disability activist and politician Joshua Malinga and prominent businessman, Jim Ross Goddard, is expected to go a long way in promoting the growth and development of tourism in the district.
“The Shangani Conservancy will be officially launched by Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri next week. The sanctuary covers an area of not less than 40,000 hectares in which game may freely roam from one end to another without fear of extermination,” said Malinga last week.
“The genetic pool may be maximised for optimum breeding potential of all species within the game-fence.”
He said the conservancy had been established with a sense of creating a natural equilibrium where wild animals and resettled farmers can co-exist.
“Landowners within the Shangani Conservancy will continue to operate their land as they wish — save for the requirement to discontinue any ad-hoc hunting, trapping or pursuance of game with dogs. Each landowner will undertake to herd all their livestock and night kraal the animals,” said Malinga.
He said the sanctuary has an 18 strand 2,8 metre high perimeter fence.
Security within the sanctuary area including the manning of traffic booms on all public roads into the conservancy as well as patrolling of the area by game guards would be undertaken by the promoters of the scheme.
Harvesting of game population within the Shangani Conservancy will be undertaken annually by a single selected safari operator.
Profits from the harvest will be distributed among all participants in proportion to their land contribution to the entire sanctuary.
“We note that the rainfall average in the sanctuary area is 700 to 800 millimeters per year. We would certainly like to introduce other species which include sables, nyala, bush-buck, wild dogs, foot and mouth free buffalo, hippo and elephants if possible too,” said Malinga.
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