ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Thwarts EU Bid to Ban Trophy Imports

Government has stopped the European Union's bid to ban the import of hunting trophies from Zimbabwe with exports of wildlife from the regional bloc expected to soar, a Cabinet minister has said.

This was after Government launched massive campaigns against the ban saying the move had major repercussions on the country's economy.

The United States of America last year imposed a ban on trophies hunted from the region after the killing of Cecil the Lion by an American dentist, Walter Palmer, and in the last weeks, EU had raised new intentions to ban the importation of trophies hunted from Zimbabwe specifically.

In an interview with The Herald recently, Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said Zimbabwe had successfully resisted EU's influence on trophy imports and exports.

"We sent a delegation from the Ministry of Environment including the permanent secretary Mr Prince Mupazviriho, Chief Charumbira and officials from the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to EU offices in Zimbabwe as well as their regional offices where they lodged their campaigns against the ban," she said.

"Fortunately, a number of dignitaries fought in our corner including our ambassador to Zimbabwe who pushed our petitions forward and EU failed to secure enough signatures to continue with their bid as only 135 of the required 376 votes were received by members of the Western-dominated trading bloc."

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said Zimbabwe collectively fought on behalf of several other African countries that would be affected by the ban. "We realised that our fight did not just stand for Zimbabwe alone, but we represent other countries in the region like Namibia, Zambia, South Africa and Botswana," she said.

"Several communities and hunters thrive on hunting, which they import across the globe, therefore this proposed ban only meant that EU was literally banning all hunting activities in Africa."

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said the country had enough wildlife to legally engage in trophy hunting.

"Environment policies require us to have more than 82 000 elephants that we successfully take good care of and as a country we are above that float to sustainably engage in hunting activities," she said. "What we do not want are people who trade in ivory."

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said hunting activities played an important role in sustaining the country's wildlife engagements.

ZIMBABWE: 22 More Elephants Killed In Hwange Park By Cyanide Poisoning

An elephant crosses the road in Hwange National Park, about 700 kilometers south west of Harare, Zimbabwe. Cyanide poisoning has killed 22 elephants in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said.

This brings to 62 the number of elephants poisoned by poachers in this southern Africa country in October.

Cyanide poisoning has killed 22 elephants in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said on Monday. This brings to 62 the number of elephants poisoned by poachers in this southern Africa country in October.

Rangers found the carcasses of the elephants in Hwange park's Sinamatella area on Monday morning, national parks spokeswoman Caroline Washaya-Moyo said.

"Again, it is cyanide poisoning," said Washaya-Moyo, who said the poachers got away with three ivory tusks.

"We are now trying to check how many elephants had fully developed tusks because babies are among those killed," she said. "The rate at which we are losing animals to cyanide is alarming. Many other species are also dying from the cyanide used by poachers to target elephants. We are appealing to people in communities close to national parks to cooperate with authorities."

In early October, the parks reported three incidents in which 40 elephants were killed by cyanide poisoning. Three were killed in the Kariba area of cyanide put in oranges. The rest were killed in Hwange park.

In 2013, more than 200 elephants died from cyanide poisoning in Hwange. Washaya-Moyo said the parks agency is hoping that trained dogs from South Africa and the deployment of drones will help tighten monitoring of the vast park in the west of this wildlife-rich country.

On Monday, the national parks also announced that over the weekend authorities at Harare International Airport seized 173 kilograms (380 pounds) of ivory worth $43,250 that was about to be smuggled to Singapore. Three Zimbabweans and a Malian national were arrested over the smuggling bid, the parks agency said in a statement.