Harare – Five elephants have died of cyanide poisoning since January in Zimbabwe as poachers continue to wreak havoc in national parks, a senior official has said.
Jefferson Matipano, acting director of Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Parks (ZimParks), told the parliamentary thematic committee on Peace and Security yesterday that poaching was still rampant, with poachers becoming more sophisticated.
Matipano was presenting oral evidence to the committee chaired by Zanu PF Senator Damian Mumvuri.
He claimed the poachers were coming from neighbouring countries.
“We have problems with foreign poachers coming from Zambia and Mozambique, working with the local poachers as couriers of the ivory,” Matipano said. “The locals are assisting them to get into the protected areas.
“They are using heavy firearms like AK47 rifles and silencer guns in their poaching. They are still poisoning our elephants as we have lost five elephants this year through chemical poisoning using cyanide in the national parks.”…
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