Suspected soldiers slaughter endangered black rhinos

By Tererai Karimakwenda
13 November, 2007

In a tragic incident that occurred last Wednesday night, a gang of poachers armed with AK 47 rifles and dressed in camouflage, shot and killed 3 black rhinos, one of the world’s most endangered species. The slaughtered group included a pregnant female, two weeks away from giving birth. A four-week-old calf was spared.

The black rhinos were part of an important project that hopes to provide a gene pool for this highly threatened species. It is believed the slaughter was meant to intimidate the farm owners into vacating their property, to make way for a top military official who wants the farm.

Black rhinos are normally killed for their horns, but this group had been dehorned to discourage poaching. Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, linked the shootings to the ongoing illegal eviction of commercial white farmers. Speaking in his personal capacity he said: “As far as I am concerned it is some greedy officer in the army or air force that actually wants that property and that’s one way of trying to get the people off.”

As we have reported most of the recent evictions of white farmers have been carried out by armed soldiers and youth on behalf of military officials who want the farms. Rodrigues said the rhino incident fits this pattern.

The shootings took place at Imire Game Farm in Wedza, outside the town of Marondera. This conservancy belongs to John and Judy Travers, whose family has headed special breeding programmes to increase the population of other animals, including lions, hyenas, elephants and impala.

The animals are protected by security guards around the clock. Rodrigues said the gang approached the homestead and forced the staff to reveal where the security guards were located. They then disarmed the guards and assaulted them before going to the secured area where they shot the rhinos in their pens.
The government’s chaotic land reform programme has not only destroyed agriculture and created food shortages, but much damage has been done to the environment as well, with military and government officials now aiming for the few remaining Conservancies. The rare species protected in these areas are being brought even closer to extinction.

Only 4 orphaned rhinos remain at Imire now, including the young calf. The owners are offering a reward to anyone who can lead them to the gang that carried out this shameful massacre, but they need to raise the funds for the reward first and have published an appeal – click here