Young Zimbabwe elephants on verge of being flown to China
CONSERVATION organisations say young wild elephants from Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park are being kept in a boma in the park until they are shipped to China, where they are likely to end up in zoos or circuses.
Reports are that Chinese crews are now “rehearsing” with the young elephants to get them used to crates.
There are 27 young elephants, captured in October, in the bomas.
Johnny Rodrigues, chairperson for the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said from Harare yesterday the animals were being kept at Hwange’s game capture unit in the park.
“The Chinese have brought in a contingent of seven people and they are rehearsing getting the young elephants into the cages and out again. Last year nine escaped, but they recaught them. Three or four died,” Rodrigues said.
He said he understood the Chinese were waiting for export permits. Asked if the animals were being ill-treated, Rodrigues said he was unable to say. “Vets and the SPCA have been refused entry, so we don’t know.”
He said in December, seven wild Zimbabwean elephants had been shipped to Dubai and eight to a park in southern China. Another four had gone to a zoo in China.
“We’ve heard there is an order for 200 elephants. We’re saying no to ivory trafficking, but here elephants, the source of ivory, are being trafficked,” Rodrigues said.
Wild elephants in Africa have been translocated to other African range states for decades to restock areas where the populations were dwindling.
However, this differed from taking African elephants to zoos and circuses.
Asked how the young animals had been separated from the adults, Rodrigues said the practice was to use a helicopter at water holes, where shots were fired above the elephants. “They panic and run, but the strag- glers, which include the babies, can’t keep up and they dart them and put them in a trailer and take them to the bomas.”
National Geographic reported last week that the planned elephant export had proved “almost impossible to verify”, but said information from conservation groups, vets, citizens and animal activists “suggests that some elephants are now on the verge of being flown to China, where they may end up in a safari park”.
However, the magazine had been told by Zimbabwe’s environment minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, that no export of elephants to China had been authorised.
Yesterday the Cape Times was unable to contact Kasukuwere, and was referred to Tanyaradzwa Mundonga, in charge of environmental management policy and governance. Mundonga said he was unable to comment and referred the Cape Times to the permanent secretary for environment, water and climate, Prince Muphzviriho, who then hung up.