Chibuwe High crowned wildlife quiz champions

CHIBUWE High School outshone four other schools to be crowned champions of the inaugural World Wildlife Day quiz competitions held at Chipangayi Secondary School in Chipinge District recently.

Five secondary schools — Chibuwe High, Chipangayi Secondary, Goko High, Musani Secondary and Mutema High competed for top honours in the final showdown.

Chibuwe High School came out tops with 66 points, and walked away with gold medals, while Chipangayi had 64 points to finish second and scooped silver medals.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority organised the quiz competitions as part of the World Wildlife Day commemorations celebrated annually on March 3.

This year’s commemorations ran under the theme: “Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation”.

Chipinge District Schools Inspector (DSI), Mr Abson Mapfumo presented the prizes to the winning schools at Chipinge Safari Area.

Mr Mapfumo applauded the wildlife quiz competitions, saying such initiatives are important in teaching children in school on the importance of protecting the country’s diverse wildlife.

He said it helps learners to understand and appreciate the need to safeguard endangered animal species.

“I am happy that a quiz competition focusing on wildlife preservation has been successfully held. This is important in sharpening the learners’ minds on wildlife issues and creates a sense of responsibility among them on the need to protect endangered animal species. Through such initiatives, schools can keep learners engaged and far away from the horrible consequences of drug and substance abuse,” he said.

Acting Chipinge Safari Area manager, Mr Callisto Chirimudombo said educating communities on the nexus between people and animals helps to prevent human-wildlife conflict.

“The connection between human beings and wildlife can never be overemphasised. We should reach a situation where communities are involved in preventing poaching and even apprehending the culprits. Future generations can also benefit from safeguarded wildlife as this is an important component of the tourism sector,” said Mr Chirimudombo.

One of the teachers who mentored the learners for the quiz competitions, Mr Cleto Rwakuda said it was a humbling experience to be part of the exercise.

“Sometimes we take it for granted that we know a lot about wildlife. Being part of this initiative was enriching as it left us with better knowledge and understanding of the complex nature of wildlife,” he said.