Its hard to believe that we are already a quarter of the way through 2024! Where has time gone? So much has happened in a relatively short space of time!
The biggest news is that the rest of this year is going to be incredibly challenging for people and wildlife alike. 2024 is set to be the worst drought in living memory!
Victoria Falls has had as little as 20mm of rain since mid-January. At a time when the bush is supposed to be in its prime for the season, we are looking at dry waterholes and wilted vegetation. The effect this has on poaching is catastrophic as crops fail and livestock perish, people turn to nature as a means of survival and income generation.
We are in for a busy year, and indeed it has already started!
The year started on a very positive note. Rainfall was sitting at just about average, the bush was greening up, and baby animals began springing up all over the place.
As is the norm for this time of year, poaching was on the downward trend, with the VFAPU team only recovering 11 snares in January. This has increased drastically as the drought kicks in, with 53 snares recovered in February and a whopping 159 in March! This clearly points to a very challenging year ahead for our anti-poaching efforts.
An interesting tactic we are finding poachers using at the moment is “hunting” with snares. This is particularly evident closer to town where the animals are far more habituated. This method sees poachers carry their snares with them until they find a herd they are targeting. Once identified, they jump ahead of the herd, lay a line of snares, then get back behind them and drive the animals towards the snare line.
This can be done several times in one hunting mission and is incredibly difficult to police.
Only by having constant boots on the ground are we able to mitigate this threat and intercept these unscrupulous individuals and deter them from their horrific practice.
With this method of poaching being deployed, a large portion of the snares we are recovering are hidden, either buried under a pile of leaves or stuffed into a bushy tree. As such, our patrols have adapted to ensure we identify and neutralize this threat.
With a busy year ahead for our Anti-Poaching Rangers, we have set the tone for how we will be dealing with the inevitable increase in poaching. VFAPU Rangers have already made some important arrests, sending a strong message that wildlife crime will not be tolerated, and should one choose to take the poaching route, they will face the full wrath of the wildlife protectors.
Thanks to our growing informer network we made a successful arrest of a trader in animal parts, namely lion claws. He has been released on bail, with his court case due for mid-April. We hope for the maximum penalty for his crimes.
VFAPU Rangers have also made several significant bush meat poacher arrests.
The first was the apprehension of three individuals caught with almost 15kgs of game meat in their house. These individuals are believed to be part of a notorious gang that has been decimating the wildlife in and around Victoria Falls, with their last known kill being two buffalo bulls. Again, their court case is pending, and we are confident that justice will be served.
The second significant arrest made was of poachers that have been disturbingly active over the last few months. VFAPU Rangers picked up on a freshly laid snare line, and our ambush began.
What was most concerning was that bush meat did not seem to be the only target. These individuals had used the remains of an impala they had recently killed to bait and attempt to trap what we suspect to be a leopard. The carcass was strategically placed in the fork of a tree, and surrounded by snares. Fortunately, our team was able to intervene before they were successful.
Our dedicated team of rangers in a joint operation with Zim Parks spent 3 days concealed under the drying vegetation, waiting for the suspects to appear.
That they did, and within a flash and a blur the two individuals were in handcuffs and removed from causing further damage to our wildlife.
Further investigation of the scene revealed a total of 46 snares as well as signs of at least 2 poached waterbuck, a poached impala and a poached buffalo, all within the last 2 months.
No doubt there were more victims to these poachers’ reign of terror, but for now, they will spend the next 12 months behind bars, and one less gang we have to worry about.
Our work with the Take Action Trust K9 Unit has expanded significantly in the last few months. With numerous joint operations being conducted, both training exercises and active patrols.
The dogs continue to prove themselves as a mighty force within the anti-poaching efforts of Victoria Falls. Where poachers were once difficult to follow once they had exited the bush, and entered the community, with the exceptional noses of our furry friends, we are able to pursue these culprits often right back to their homes.
Such was the case with the individuals drying meat in their house mentioned above.
Our major arrest came during a routine training exercise. The team was laying a scent trail for the dogs to follow when the bush erupted with a pack of hunting dogs hot on the trail of a duiker. The team managed to distract the dogs long enough for the duiker to make its escape. Unfortunately, this alerted the poachers, who took to the wind and disappeared into the bush.
Previously it would have been quite a challenge to track these guys down, but not anymore. With the incredible noses of the K9 Unit, we managed to track the suspects through the bush, and back into the community. They obviously thought they were home and dry as we found them quite merrily walking down the road, with no attempt to conceal themselves. As we were about to pounce they noticed our advances and hightailed it through the villages and vegetable farms. However, with great athleticism and tracking skills from our Rangers, one of the suspects was very quickly apprehended.
Unfortunately, with a lack of evidence to enforce a poaching conviction, he was charged with trespassing and made to pay a fine. Whilst not the greatest legal outcome, the message that has been sent to him, and the many people who witnessed the operation was strong and we hope well learnt!
The second best feeling for an Anti-Poaching Unit, after the successful arrest and conviction of poachers, is the rescuing of distressed animals.
We are incredibly fortunate to work very well with the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, who are always ready and available to assist when an animal is in need. VFAPU Rangers were involved with the rescue of 3 animals over the last few months.
A young adult bull elephant that had a nasty snare wrapped tightly around its ankle, a sub-adult male impala that had a snare around his neck, and an adult female kudu, also with a snare around her neck.
All successfully darted, relieved of the terrible snares, and set free, back into the wild.
Detecting animals in distress is just one of the major benefits of having constant boots on the ground. VFAPU Rangers together with the IMPI Horse Mounted Unit are out daily searching for signs of poaching, and animals that need our help.
We are also incredibly fortunate to live and work in a very conservation-minded community, where good Samaritans always alert us to an animal in need of assistance.
We will always be there to help in any way we can!
March saw the first of many joint efforts between VFAPU and The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust in the conservation education arena.
Whilst our primary mandate is, and always will be, combating wildlife crime, we are well aware that to ultimately have a lasting impact more needs to be done at the root of the cause.
Conservation Education focuses on the youth and aims to grow their passion for preserving our environment by making them aware of the value of our wildlife and the need for conserving our ecosystems for generations to come.
The Wildlife Trust have been running fantastic conservation education programs for several years now, and so, without reinventing the wheel, an agreement has been reached where VFAPU Rangers assist in delivering the weekly classes. Imparting on-the-ground knowledge and experience, aiming to inspire the next generation of anti-poaching rangers and conservationists.
Our Appeal
2024 is set to be one of the most horrific years on record for wildlife. Not only will animals have to deal with the harshness of an extended dry season, but they will also have to contend with already increased poaching activity.
Many of the people of Zimbabwe rely on their subsistence way of life for survival. With the very little rain received their crops have failed and this has already caused a rise in the poaching activity in our area.
We desperately need to greatly expand our operations to combat the increased poaching threat. We appeal to you to please share our message far and wide in the hope that it may reach those with the means to help our wildlife!
