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By Gilbert Munetsi
The Painted Dogs Conservation – working with the Hwange community and stakeholders from the surrounds – has managed to remove 30 000 snares as part of their anti-poaching initiatives aimed at saving the threatened species.
A top representative of the voluntary organisation, David Munyaradzi Kuvawoga, told Nhau in an interview that they have been able to do this from 2001 and as many as 2 500 such cases were recorded year to year.
Based in Hwange, Painted Dogs Conservation is a private voluntary organisation whose vision is to create a conducive environment that makes it possible for the painted dogs species to thrive.
While a set of strategies which include law enforcement through anti-poaching as well as a robust education and awareness programme have been implemented, PDC is planning a big event whose objective is to commemorate the work of game rangers.
This follows the Wildlife Ranger Challenge event that was hosted by the Hwange community a few months ago and was supported by a number of corporates which included Nyaradzo.
“There is need to appreciate and acknowledge the good work that the ranger does on the frontline while protecting endangered species. These comprise, but not limited to, the rhino, elephant, pangolin and the painted dog.
“It takes a fully-kitted ranger and 22kgs at their back to fight poachers, and yet these are people whose conditions of service are not as good.
“We therefore wish to recognise and motivate them so that they can execute their roles enthusiastically,” Kuvawoga said.
He noted that due to harsh working conditions coupled with a lack of up-to-date equipment, some rangers had been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
“There is great need to compensate them well to avoid exposure to corruption while in the field.
“Rangers are sometimes involved in the poaching of the rhino horn, elephant tusk and pangolin scale by passing on information to the very people they should be fighting.”
Kuvawoga noted the need to equip rangers with modern day equipment as poachers were getting even more complex.
PDC works with other local community volunteers such as Mabale, patrolling the buffer zone on the periphery of Hwange National Park.
Regularly, they invite groups of local primary schoolchildren for four-day bush camps where they teach them the values of wildlife and issues related to the environment.
“Future generations must be environmentally conscious and have a positive attitude towards wildlife if we are to successfully curtail poaching,” remarked Kuvawoga. Nhau/Indaba
