Zimbabwe has stockpiled 78 000 kg of ivory worth about US$12 million, which it has failed to dispose off due to strict global regulations aimed at arresting the growth of illegal trade in the elephant task, a Cabinet minister has said.
“Urgent measures must be put in place to arrest the callous wildlife poaching,” Muchinguri said, adding that government was looking at ways of raising funds to equip the appropriate departments to take on the poachers.
“There are efforts by government to raise funds to stop the carnage. We have 78 000 kg of ivory in our stockpiles worth US$12 million. The stock pile is huge and it is continuing to rise from many source such as problem animals control and natural death,” said the minister.
Muchinguri said the poaching crisis in the country had reached crisis levels, and many wildlife species were on the verge of extinction.
“The crisis poses serious development, environmental and security challenges. It is pushing endangered species towards extinction. There are 83 000 elephants, and a large number of them continue to be prey to poachers,” she said.
The Minister said about 71 elephants have been killed in the giant Hwange National Park this year alone. Poachers have been using dangerous chemicals such as cyanide to slay the jumbos for their ivory, which is then sold in lucrative far eastern black markets.
“The illegal killings are deeply regressive and it is going to cause serious repercussions on the economy is not addressed,” said Muchinguri, who also noted that among the social ills coming out of the poaching scourge was a sharp rise in corruption.