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Can GPS tracking reduce cases of vulture poisoning in Zimbabwe?

Published

2 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.

Nkayi

Stakeholders gather to boost investment in marginalized Nkayi district

Published

4 hours ago

October 10, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY BAYANDA NKATHA

Stakeholders from Nkayi District have gathered in Bulawayo for the inaugural Nkayi Diaspora Investment Indaba, which kicked off this Thursday morning at the Zimbabwe Art Gallery.

The event has drawn various stakeholders, including heads of government departments, traditional leaders, Diaspora-based business people, humanitarian organizations such as Amalima Loko and others.

The district is seeking to court investors for various projects and service delivery, with the aim of addressing the area’s marginalization and development challenges.

Nkayi is one of the districts that has lagged behind in terms of development, with its two major connecting roads – Bulawayo-Nkayi and Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane – deteriorating to an extent that driving has become a nightmare.

However, the district has huge potential, boasting vast natural resources, including rich agricultural soils, water, the upcoming Ziminya Dam, sand abstraction, timber, beekeeping, and more.

Its proximity to Gokwe, Lupane, Binga, and Kwekwe makes Nkayi a strategic market district.

National

Mine Entra conference kicks off in Bulawayo

Published

5 hours ago

October 10, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY BAYANDA NKATHA

The 2024 Mine Entra conference has officially kicked off in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa expected to officiate the event.

The conference is being held under the theme “Unearthing Success: The Mining Value Chains, Innovation, and Industrialisation Nexus” and is expected to be a significant event in the mining industry.

President Mnangagwa arrived in Bulawayo on Wednesday afternoon, after attending the burial of national hero Colonel (Retired) Tshinga Dube at the Heroes Acre in Harare.

Mines and Mining Development Minister, Winston Chitando, will lead the proceedings, with the President expected to address the conference.

The Chamber of Mines is also expected to provide a comprehensive update on the state of the mining sector.

The industry is optimistic about the future, with mineral revenue, employment levels, and capacity utilization projected to increase in 2025.

The Mining Industry Prospects for 2025 report shows that mining executives are confident about the sector’s prospects.

“Mineral revenue is expected to increase by approximately two percent in 2024 and by around 10 percent to approximately US$6 billion in 2025 from about US$5.5 billion in 2024 on the back of improved output and some anticipated commodity price recovery in 2025.”reads the report.

Average capacity utilization for the mining industry is expected to improve, driven by key sectors such as gold, ferrochrome, and PGMs.

Employment is also expected to rise, with mining industry formal employment expected to increase in 2025.

The mining sector has also recorded a decrease in fatalities since the beginning of the year, with a significant reduction in deaths compared to last year.

However, the survey results show that there is still a need for safety and health at mining operations.

Hwange

Problem elephant shot in Hwange

Published

6 hours ago

October 10, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

In a bid to address the growing concern of human-wildlife conflict, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority yesterday shot down a problem elephant in Hwange.

The elephant had been terrorizing communities and destroying mango fruits, prompting concerns about the safety of locals.

Ingagula councillor Brian Chikumbo confirmed the shooting, saying, “We have been having some human-wildlife conflicts of late, whereby jumbos, more than four herds, have been coming into the community around 7 pm every day and even inside people’s houses. It had become unbearable, and very soon we could have recorded a fatality.”

Chikumbo emphasized the need for a lasting solution to address the growing concern of human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe.

“We just want a lasting solution because we fear that one day we might have a fatality as the numbers and teams are increasing every day.”

Background: Human-Wildlife Conflict in Zimbabwe

Human-wildlife conflict is a growing concern in Zimbabwe, with recent statistics showing a significant rise in incidents.

At least 200 people have been killed and several others injured, some permanently, since 2019.

The conflict is not limited to human casualties; livestock and crops have also been severely affected, with a 200 percent increase in crop damage and loss reported.