ZIMBABWE: Fears are growing that Zimbabwe's wildlife is under serious threat following claims by conservation groups that state-sponsored poaching is taking place to feed rural peasants as a result of food shortages.
It was widely reported recently that at least nine elephants were butchered in two of Zimbabwe's National Parks in order to provide meat for the country's independence day celebrations on April 18th last, which marked 25 years of liberation from the white Rhodesian regime.
It is understood that the elephants were killed by National Park rangers and a local farmer after being instructed to do so by local government officials.
Four of the elephants were reportedly shot in full view of tourists near Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba, a major haven for wildlife.
Local conservation groups maintain such incidents are widespread and that over the last few years, an increase in poaching has begun to decimate the country's wildlife that inhabits the national parks.
According to Zimbabwe conservation taskforce chairman Johnny Rodrigues, much of the poaching has been sanctioned by president Robert Mugabe's ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National United Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF), which just won the recently parliamentary election.
"The government is backing the poaching; it is telling the local administrations to feed the rural people" he told The Irish Times. "The situation is really bad.
"You must realise that Zimbabwe had six million head of cattle before the land seizures began to take place, but that number is down to about 160,000 now, and half that number is used to plough the fields.
"We are hearing from our people on the ground that all the animal species, from impala to Buffalo, are being targeted in large numbers."
Mr Rodrigues added that the government was also trying to increase the tallies of wild animals that lived in the country's national parks so it would have an excuse to introduce an animal cull, which would effectively provide food.
South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, has also added its voice to the growing list of those concerned. This week the party called upon its government to speak out against Zimbabwe's conservation record.
MP Gareth Morgan said the Democratic Alliance was particularly worried about wildlife from South Africa's Kruger National Park that could make its way into Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou National Park, which is due to form part of the transfrontier park between the two reserves.
"Private conservancies around Gonarezhou are reporting that Zanu-PF strongmen are frequently demanding that landowners allow Zanu-PF supporters to hunt animals for food," Mr Morgan said." Further, large portions of these conservancies have been invaded by human settlers."
Zimbabwe's main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has also maintained the country has virtually run out of the staple maize grain, and consequently President Mugabe's government has been urged to launch an appeal for foreign donor aid.
Renson Gasela, MDC shadow agriculture minister, said the party estimated maize output from the cropping season at about 500,000 tonnes against domestic requirements of 1.8 million tons.
He maintained the country did not have adequate stocks to see it through to the next harvest.