Herald Reporter
Last Updated: Friday, 6 June 2003
GAME scouts shot and killed three
armed poachers in the intensive protection zone of Sinamatella,
Hwange, on Wednesday.
National Parks
and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe acting chief warden
Mr Lovemore Mungoshi said the poachers were hunting
for rhinoceros, which they kill for their horns.
He said the authority
has lost 12 rhinos in the area and has had to review its operational
tactics.
"
On Wednesday at 1000 hours, one of our patrols had a contact with
armed poachers in the Bambossie area of Sinamatella and they killed
three poachers without suffering any casualties," Mr Mungoshi
said.
"
At the time of contact the patrols had been tracking the poachers
for about 24 hours following the discovery of the poachers’ spoor.
When the spoor was picked up, the poachers were tracking rhino and
because it did not rain and wash away the poachers spoor, our patrol
were able to continue tracking, resulting in the contact."
After
the contact, he said, eight elephant tusks, an AK rifle with a
folding butt, 75 live AK rounds and an empty AK magazine, two elephant
tails and cooking utensils were recovered.
"
The police have been to the scene of the incident to collect the
bodies of the deceased poachers, who are yet to be positively identified.
"
I would like to take this opportunity to warn all poachers and their
collaborators that they stand to lose their lives if they go poaching
in any of our intensive protection zones," said Mr Mungoshi.
He said he suspected that the poachers
might be Zambian citizens.
"
The clothes that they were wearing, especially the shoes, were made
by Bata Zambia," he said.
In March this year, three poachers
were shot and killed while two others were arrested after they
tried to flee from members of the
anti-poaching task force at Mafanzou in Kariba.
The poachers were
hunting for elephant tusks.
They were found in
possession of elephant tusks and animal skins.
National Parks formed a task force
with the police support unit and the army’s commando troops to provide reinforcements in anti-poaching
activities in the affected areas.
Animals such as elephants and the
rhinoceros remain an endangered species due to poaching by both
locals and foreigners.
©
Copyright of Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Limited 2001. Terms and Conditions
of reading. Commercial Information . Privacy Policy . Information
About http://www.herald..co.zw/
Privacy Policy
|
