Dear VFAPU Supporters

Firstly, we wish to thank you all for the crucial support that you have all extended to our efforts in conserving Zimbabwe’s wildlife.

VFAPU has continued to keep a check on poaching in the Victoria Falls area throughout 2013 and we thank the Area Manager and his team from National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the Zimbabwe Republic Police, for collaborative efforts in fight poaching. VFAPU Scouts continue to patrol an area of approximately 50 square kilometres surrounding Vic Falls town, as well as integrating with NPWMA Rangers for extended patrols. As you will see below, there are a number of different types of poaching that we come across during our patrols. Surprisingly, subsistence mammal poaching makes up a small percentage of the statistics, whilst commercial bush meat poaching is a more common practise. Wood poaching in its various forms remains a big problem with people entering the parks estate regularly to gather and sell firewood or to poach a number of hardwood trees to produce curios for the tourist market. High-end commercial poaching for elephants remains a threat throughout Africa and Zimbabwe is experiencing its fair share of this. As we all know, the plight of the rhino in Southern Africa is of great concern with an average of 2 rhino being poached every day. Encouragingly, through tremendous efforts from a number of initiatives, the rhino population in Zimbabwe is on the increase.

Supported by recent comments made by Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, vowing to pull out all the stops to put an end to all forms of poaching, VFAPU remains committed to wildlife conservation. It is your support that enables VFAPU to do this and once again, we thank you all. As we all work together for this cause, we send out a clear message that poaching is not acceptable and we are here to do something about it.

I have listed the statistics for the year 2013 below and should anyone require a more detailed report, please contact me.

VFAPU Statistics for 2013

Type of offence:

Mammals discovered poached:

Mammals darted and treated: