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Can GPS tracking reduce cases of vulture poisoning in Zimbabwe?

Published

3 years ago

December 13, 2022

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A leading African conservation organisation is exploring ways to utilise technology to curb the poisoning of vultures in Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou National Park and Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

The two game reserves are said to be the most affected by the poisoning of vultures.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), which is dedicated to conserving threatened species and ecosystems in southern and east Africa, says it will use vultures as their “Eye In The Sky” to raise alerts about poisoning incidents.

Data would be transmitted from GPS-tracked vultures and sent to monitors, which will enable a more rapid response to potentially deadly incidents.“The issue is exacerbated by the poisoning of vultures as sentinel species in association with the ivory trade, and other poaching practices, as well as targeting these birds for belief-use trade in their body parts,” said Andre Botha, the Vultures for Africa programme manager at EWT.

“Vultures are targeted as their visible presence with large numbers descending from the skies and perching near to, or feeding on poached wildlife, alerts law enforcement staff to poaching or poisoning events.

“Their remarkable sentinel function has led to the extensive persecution of vultures across the continent.”

Gareth Tate, Birds of Prey programme manager at the EWT, said the technology will result in quicker reaction to poisoning incidents.

“In essence, when a vulture is killed on a poisoning scene, the immobility triggers an alert within minutes of death, allowing us to pinpoint the sites where vultures have died and respond rapidly and decontaminate the scenes to prevent further loss of vultures and other animals that would otherwise go undetected, or be detected too late,” Tate said.It is sad that vultures have to die to detect some of these events, but by sending an early alert signal to us they save the lives of countless other wildlife and allow us to rescue animals that have survived these poisoning events.”Deborah Kahatano, chief of party for USAID’s VukaNow Activity, which is supporting the EWT innovation, said one of their core objectives was to increase the application of effective tools, technologies, and approaches that mitigate wildlife crime, while also working closely with communities to address these issues.

“The vision for this work is to expand the network of GPS-tracked vultures throughout poisoning hotspots across Africa and incorporate multiple partners and landscapes to uptake the Eye in the Sky poisoning detection system, while continuing to focus on additional proactive conservation measures to address the major indiscriminate threat of poisoning,” Kahatano said.

“This includes undertaking community work and targeted workshops with traditional medicine practitioners to raise awareness around the use of poisons to harvest vulture body parts and its risks to human health, and facilitating improved judiciary and law enforcement response, leading to more arrests being made.”

The first Saturday in September marks International Vulture Awareness Day, which is intended to highlight the conservation of vultures that face a range of threats.

This article is reproduced here as part of the African Conservation Journalism Programme, funded in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe by USAID’s VukaNow: Activity. Implemented by the international conservation organization Space for Giants, it aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate. Written articles from the Mozambican and Angolan cohorts are translated from Portuguese. Broadcast stories remain in the original language.

National

Chidzivo, Waison take top honors at Vic Falls Marathon

Published

2 days ago

July 7, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Blessing Waison and Fortunate Chidzivo took top honors at the 2025 Econet Victoria Falls Marathon yesterday, as Zimbabwean long-distance runners excelled at Africa’s most prestigious road race.

Econet General Manager – Marketing, Mrs Tariro Muchena (left), and Finance Director, Mr Chengeto Moyo, present the winner’s prize to men’s marathon champion, Blessing Waison, at the 2025 Econet Victoria Falls Marathon, while Victoria Falls Mayor, Mr Prince Moyo, looks on

The event, which featured athletes from over 40 countries, saw Waison storm to victory in the men’s full marathon, clocking 2 hours, 13 minutes, and 16 seconds. He narrowly beat decorated Olympian Isaac Mpofu in a thrilling duel that brought thousands of spectators to their feet.

Godwin Katakura followed closely in third, completing an all-Zimbabwean podium sweep in the 42.2km race. The trio’s success came with bigger rewards this year, after Econet Wireless doubled the total prize purse to $50,000.

Waison walked away with $3,000, while Mpofu and Katakura earned $2,000 and $1,500, respectively.

In the women’s marathon, Chidzivo delivered a commanding performance, clocking 2 hours and 42 minutes to claim another major title in her illustrious career. Ethel Pangiso and Phillipa Dube completed the women’s podium in second and third place, respectively.

Rising star Wayne Kabondo turned heads in the men’s 21km half marathon, overcoming a formidable field to finish in 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds. Kabondo pocketed $1,500 for his efforts.

In the women’s 21km race, Caroline Mhandu crossed the line in 1 hour, 17 minutes, and 50 seconds, ahead of Miriam Sibanda and Melody Kaseke.

The marathon’s inclusive spirit was evident in the 18km Specially Abled Races, which saw uplifting performances across different categories. Godknows Hamadziripi claimed the men’s tricycle title, while Samson Muroyiwa won the handcycle event.

Among the women, Stella Jongwe triumphed in the handcycle race, and Ratidzo Tomu took first position in the tricycle category.

Organized by Econet Wireless in partnership with Wild Horizons, the 2025 edition drew over 5,000 participants and spectators from more than 40 countries. The marathon route, widely regarded as Africa’s most scenic, winds through game reserves and offers spectacular views of the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls.

https://x.com/vic_falls_live/status/1941861569450725776?s=46

Beyond the races, this year’s event featured live music, traditional dance, health expos, and community wellness activities.

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Zimparks launches elephant culling program

Published

1 month ago

June 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

In a bid to address the growing elephant population in Save Valley Conservancy, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has issued permits for a controlled elephant management exercise.

The exercise, slated to commence shortly, aims to cull an initial 50 elephants from the conservancy, which is currently home to 2,550 elephants – more than three times the ecological carrying capacity of 800 elephants.

According to ZimParks, the conservancy has been struggling to cope with the swelling elephant population, which has put a strain on the wildlife habitat and resources. Over the past five years, the conservancy has translocated 200 elephants to other areas, including Hurungwe and Sapi, in an effort to manage the population.

Zimparks says the controlled culling exercise is expected to provide relief to the conservancy’s ecosystem, while also benefiting local communities.

Elephant meat from the exercise will be distributed to local communities while the ivory will be kept by the State.

In a statement, ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo emphasized the authority’s commitment to responsible and sustainable wildlife management.

“We remain committed to ensuring that our wildlife resources are managed in a responsible and sustainable manner, for the benefit of present and future generations.”

In the community

Hwange police seek public’s help in locating missing teen

Published

2 months ago

May 15, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Hwange police are urgently seeking the public’s assistance in locating 16-year-old Latoya Lisa Munkuli, who went missing on May 7, this month.

Latoya, a dark-complexioned female juvenile, was last seen leaving her residence in Hwange around 4 pm.

She was wearing a distinctive outfit consisting of green trousers and a white T-shirt, and carried a black satchel. She stands approximately 1.6 meters tall.

Inspector Glory Banda of the Hwange police is leading the investigation and urges anyone with information about Latoya’s whereabouts to come forward.

If you have any information about Latoya’s disappearance, please contact Inspector Banda on 0785961747 or 0771256607.