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Masvingo Bureau
The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has completed the rehabilitation of part of the perimeter fence around the Gonarezhou National Park in southern Chiredzi that was vandalised by poachers and illegal settlers who invaded the wildlife-rich game reserve at the height of farm occupations.
About 70 kilometres of the perimeter fence around the elephant-rich park was destroyed in the Chibwechidziva and Chipinda Pools area by illegal settlers and poachers.
This resulted in foot and mouth cases shooting up in cattle in southern Chiredzi.
Police have also been descending heavily on vandals and poachers in the Gonarezhou, with at least eight people having been arrested.
They have been fined a combined US$700 since the beginning of this year in the area.
Over 800 families of the Chitsa clan who invaded the Gonarezhou National Park over a decade ago are believed to have been behind the constant vandalism of the perimeter fence which served as a barrier to stop foot and mouth carrying buffaloes from mixing with cattle.
Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo on Tuesday confirmed the completion of the rehabilitation of the perimeter fence around Gonarezhou saying the move had resulted in foot and mouth cases in the area becoming negligible.
“We managed to successfully rehabilitate the perimeter fence around the Gonarezhou with 49 kilometres of the fence having been restored in the Chipinda pools area while another 20 kilometres of the fence was rehabilitated in the Chibwechidziva area of the park,” she said.
“The successful rehabilitation of the perimeter fence has also resulted in the elimination of the foot and mouth disease in livestock in communities around Gonarezhou and the situation at the moment is just quiet.’”
The Gonarezhou National Park is also part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.
Online Reporter