Yet again we found the remains of a mutilated animal last week in the central part of the Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park. It is without a doubt that all this is the work of poachers.
It is a sad reality that African animals are dying every day only due to enormous human greed which knows no limits. The number of cases, when a person kills an endangered rhino, elephant, or another animal just for its skin, horns, tusks or ebony is unfortunately growing. What can we do to prevent this sad state from further worsening? Is there any way to stop the poachers in their activities? Marek Fošenbauer, one of the managers at Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park, provided answers to some of these questions.
How often do you encounter poachers in the park?
It happens quite often, set loops and empty shells are frequently found in the area that we manage. We try to protect the animals with all our strength, but unfortunately we discovered last week some remains of an animal killed by poachers. It was an elephant that is sought after in this area for its tusks, i.e. ebony. This time they were able to see their plan through all the way to its sad end and we only witnessed the consequences of this insensitive activity. Rhinos are also frequently poached mainly for their horns. In some cultures people believe that the rhino horns are medicinal and that is precisely why the poachers focus on these rare animals. However, above all it is a profitable business.
Is it even possible to somehow prevent poachers from killing animals?
It is certainly possible to significantly restrict their activities in the park. We’ve implemented a number of measures at the Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park, which allow us to keep irresponsible hunters and poachers at bay. We continuously invest considerable resources to do away with this sad phenomenon.
What are these measures?
Our team of rangers patrols the park through and through. With rare and endangered species, such as the rhino or the elephant, we try to track them and monitor their movement. We also have a helicopter and some animals are marked with a chip and we can therefore track them with GPS navigation. We currently have 50 new rangers that are being trained directly by the police and army. Following their completion of the training, they will join in our park protection activities. They will have the best equipment available to them – AK47 weapons, night vision goggles, radios and GPS navigation.
As far as hunting at the Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park, we issue a limited number of hunting permits and strictly select old, sick or overpopulated animals.
Do you think that you will ever be able to fully eliminate poaching?
I think that if poaching was punished more severely and at the same time we were able to lower the demand for ebony products in the population, then we’d have a chance for sure. Although the overall approach of people to nature would have to change as well. After all, they are killing elephants and rhinos only for their tusks, horns and a little bit of meat. The rest of the animal is of no interest to them and they just leave it lying in the dust. Seeing such a pointless death of a rare species truly makes us all very sad.
Cases, where local people kill an animal as part of their way of life are minimal when compared to poachers. This is another project we are working on as part of the Community Development Program – through this Community Development Program we want to provide such conditions for the local people that they never have to go back to animal killing.
About Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park
Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park spans across Mozambique and is one of the largest private African parks. It neighbors and fluently ties into the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe. The primary objective for the Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park is to protect the natural wealth preserved in the area that is practically untouched by humans. Another integral activity of this park is a sensitive, sustainable and long term development of local
communities.
Park activities focus on the construction of schools, hospitals, healthcare facilities, water reservoirs or the development of local infrastructure. All these steps are taken with utmost consideration for the environment while respecting the pristine state and beauty of this area.
Currently Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park is looking for other companies, which would get involved in the Community Development Program and help with financing of other planned projects.
Contact information
Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park, ?eská republika
?www.gonarezhoupark.com
?Bc. Gabriela Dihelová?
phone: +420 721 300 000
?email: [email protected]
Community Development Program Coordinator:
?www.pomahameafrice.cz?
Dana Neumanová
?phone: +420 720 400 000
email: [email protected]
Related websites:
www.gonarezhoupark.com?
www.pomahameafrice.cz
