The ManicaPost
Wimbainashe Zhakata Post Correspondent
CECIL Kop Nature Reserve authorities are concerned with the increasing damage of the Mutare game park where wood poachers and border jumpers are destroying the flora and fauna, holding back the restocking of animals in the game park.
The owners of the game park, Wildlife and Environment Zimbabwe (WEZ) recently called for the restocking of Cecil Kop Nature Reserve Game Park with large animals to attract more tourists. but this is being limited by border jumpers who cut the fence to access illegal entrance with smuggled goods into Zimbabwe and wood poachers looking for firewood.
Cecil Kop Nature Reserve is about 3km away from the Mozambican and Zimbabwean border.
In an interview, Manicaland chairman for WEZ, Dr Innocent Chabanga said Cecil Kop was losing a lot of business opportunities due to property vandalism as well as deforestation by wood poachers, who look for firewood in the face of increased ZESA power cuts.
“We are failing to restock animals because the fence that protects the animals from escaping is being stolen as soon as it is replaced,” he said.
Two years ago a police officer who was protecting the park was trampled to death after two elephants escaped the game park through an opening.
Dr Chabanga said they were now considering reducing the size of Cecil Kop Nature Reserve to keep it a distant from the border.
“We have noticed that it is too expensive to fence right around the park so we are thinking of reducing the area for breeding animals,” said Dr Chabanga.
The manager of the game park, Mr Knowledge Nyamhoka suggested the idea of stocking lions to scare people away.
“If it was possible we could stock lions, probably they will scare people away. Border jumpers and wood poachers have formed about 10 to 12 paths in the game park that lead to the Mozambique border. The park is supposed to be filled with grass but now there so many short cuts,” he said.
WEZ is a private trust, whose interest is conservation of wildlife and environment. They have been owning Cecil Kop on a 99 year lease since 1993.
