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Walter Nyamukondiwa – Mashonaland West Bureau Chief

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) is fine-tuning its 2024 Strategic Plan which seeks to consolidate successes registered in wildlife conservation and strengthen cooperation with other stakeholders.

Zimparks is crafting strategies to protect wildlife habitats, tourism development at its 65 facilities, resource mobilisation and reviewing manpower levels.

Speaking at the strategic plan review workshop in Chinhoyi, Zimparks director-general Mr Fulton Mangwanya said the efforts were being directed at eliminating poaching.

“The real issues that concern wildlife conservation have to do with poaching which we have to make sure we bring to zero,” said Mr Mangwanya.

“We want to make sure that in our parks, the 65 properties which we have, we want to ensure that we do habitat protection and that all is expensive.”

Zimparks, he said, would be working with other stakeholders such as the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) to get equipment to enhance the protection of wildlife and management of its rangers.

AWF handed over an assortment of anti-poaching field equipment, including military boots, tents and camp beds to Zimparks on the sidelines of the Strategic Planning workshop.

Zimparks board chairman Dr Aggripa Sora hailed private players such as AWF for capacitating Zimparks to conserve wildlife and habitats.

AWF Country Director Ms Olivia Mufute said the dedication and commitment of rangers in protecting wildlife needs to be complemented with suitable equipment.