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Zimbabwe’s Conservation Efforts

Elephants in protected Zimbabwe woodland Despite economic challenges, Zimbabwe has maintained one of Africa’s most successful wildlife conservation records. Through innovative community programs, dedicated anti-poaching efforts, and habitat protection, Zimbabwe hosts thriving populations of elephants, African wild dogs, and other iconic species. Your visit directly supports these conservation efforts.

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Conservation Success Stories

African Elephants

Status: Population stable and growingNumbers: ~82,000+ (one of Africa’s largest populations)Success Factors:
  • Strong anti-poaching enforcement
  • CAMPFIRE community benefit programs
  • Habitat protection through national parks
  • Transfrontier conservation areas enabling migration
  • Community tolerance due to benefit-sharing
Challenges:
  • Human-elephant conflict in communal areas
  • Habitat pressure from human settlements
  • Occasional overpopulation in fenced reserves
  • Drought impacts on food and water availability
Tourist Impact:
  • Park fees fund ranger patrols and infrastructure
  • Tourism employment reduces poaching incentives
  • Viewing elephants validates their conservation value
  • Documentation helps monitor populations

African Wild Dogs

Status: Endangered globally, thriving in ZimbabweNumbers: ~700 (one of Africa’s largest populations, ~10% of global total)Success Factors:
  • Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) programs
  • Anti-snaring initiatives
  • Veterinary intervention for injured animals
  • Research and monitoring (radio collars)
  • Large protected areas (Hwange, Mana Pools)
  • Community education programs
Challenges:
  • Disease from domestic dogs (rabies, distemper)
  • Snaring (indiscriminate wire traps)
  • Human-wildlife conflict
  • Habitat fragmentation
  • Small gene pools in isolated populations
Organizations:
  • Painted Dog Conservation (Hwange)
  • Wildlife Conservation Action
  • Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife
How to Help:
  • Visit PDC rehabilitation center in Hwange
  • Support through donations or merchandise
  • Report snares and injured animals
  • Choose lodges supporting wild dog conservation

Black Rhino

Status: Critically endangered, slowly recoveringNumbers: Small population (exact numbers confidential for security)Success Factors:
  • Intensive Protection Zones (IPZs)
  • 24/7 armed ranger protection
  • Radio tracking of individuals
  • Dehorning programs to reduce poaching incentive
  • Successful breeding in protected areas
  • Translocation to establish new populations
  • Intelligence-led anti-poaching operations
Challenges:
  • High-value poaching target (horn worth more than gold)
  • Sophisticated poaching syndicates
  • Limited genetic diversity
  • Slow reproduction (one calf every 3-5 years)
  • Habitat requirements
Protection Measures:
  • Armed guard accompaniment 24/7
  • Technology: drones, camera traps, sensors
  • K9 anti-poaching units
  • Community intelligence networks
  • Severe penalties for poaching (includes life sentences)
Tourist Role:
  • Rhino tracking fees fund protection
  • NEVER share rhino sighting locations on social media
  • Report suspicious activity
  • Support rhino conservation organizations

White Rhino

Status: Near threatened, stable in ZimbabweNumbers: Small but growing populationSuccess Factors:
  • Successful breeding programs (Matobo Hills)
  • Rhino walking safaris generate revenue
  • Community benefit from rhino tourism
  • Translocations from South Africa establishing populations
  • Less targeted than black rhinos (slightly)
Viewing:
  • Matobo Hills National Park offers rhino tracking walks
  • Close encounters with habituated individuals
  • Educational programs for visitors
Conservation Model:
  • Demonstrates value of living rhinos vs. horn
  • Tourism revenue exceeds potential poaching profit
  • Community employment through tourism
  • Successful model for rhino conservation

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Major Conservation Challenges

Scope: While Zimbabwe has fared better than some African countries, poaching remains a serious threat.Primary Targets:
  • Rhinos: Horn valued for traditional medicine (Asia), dagger handles (Yemen)
  • Elephants: Ivory for carvings and ornaments (mainly Asian markets)
  • Pangolins: Scales for traditional medicine, meat as delicacy
  • Leopards: Skins for traditional ceremonies
  • Wildlife for bushmeat: Indiscriminate snaring
Methods:
  • Sophisticated syndicates with international networks
  • Firearms (AK-47s often from conflict zones)
  • Poisoning (cyanide in water holes - devastating for vultures)
  • Wire snares (indiscriminate, cruel, kill all species)
  • Bow and arrow (silent, difficult to detect)
Counter-Poaching Efforts:
  • Rangers: Over 1,000 rangers patrolling parks (poorly paid but dedicated)
  • Technology: Drones, camera traps, motion sensors, thermal imaging
  • K9 Units: Sniffer dogs detect ivory, weapons, poachers
  • Intelligence: Community informant networks
  • Prosecution: Stiffer penalties including life sentences
  • Demand Reduction: Campaigns in consumer countries
Funding Challenges:
  • Ranger salaries often delayed
  • Equipment shortages (vehicles, radios, boots)
  • Technology expensive to acquire and maintain
  • Conservation competes with other national priorities
How Tourism Helps:
  • Park fees directly fund ranger patrols
  • Lodges often employ private security supplementing rangers
  • Tourism creates employment alternatives to poaching
  • Visitor presence deters poaching activity
  • Photographs help monitor populations
The Challenge: As human settlements expand around protected areas, conflicts increase.Types of Conflict:
  • Elephants: Crop raiding (can destroy entire harvests overnight)
  • Predators: Livestock killing (lions, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs)
  • Buffalo: Crop damage, disease transmission (corridor disease)
  • Hippos: Crop raiding at night, human fatalities
  • Crocodiles: Attacks on people, livestock at water sources
  • Primates: Crop raiding (baboons especially problematic)
Consequences:
  • Economic losses for communities (crops, livestock)
  • Human injuries and fatalities
  • Retaliatory killing of wildlife (poisoning, shooting)
  • Community resentment toward conservation
Mitigation Efforts:
  • CAMPFIRE Program: Communities benefit financially from wildlife
  • Problem Animal Control: ZimParks responds to conflict situations
  • Barriers: Chili fences, beehive fences (elephants), bomas for livestock
  • Compensation Schemes: Payment for verified losses
  • Early Warning Systems: Community scouts alert to approaching elephants
  • Translocation: Moving repeat offenders to remote areas
  • Community Engagement: Education about coexistence
  • Insurance Programs: Covering crop and livestock losses
Success Stories:
  • Communities receiving CAMPFIRE revenue protect wildlife
  • Chili fences reducing elephant raids (elephants hate capsaicin)
  • Predator-proof livestock enclosures reducing lion killing
  • Income from tourism exceeding crop value in some areas
Tourist Role:
  • Stay at lodges with community partnerships
  • Support CAMPFIRE programs
  • Understand the challenges local communities face
  • Contribute to conflict mitigation programs
The Threat: Wire snares are indiscriminate, cruel, and devastating to wildlife.Impact:
  • Kill or maim all species (elephants, lions, wild dogs, antelope)
  • Injured animals suffer slow, painful deaths
  • Survivors often lose limbs, trunks, or suffer infections
  • Particularly devastating to endangered species
Motivation:
  • Bushmeat for food (poverty-driven)
  • Bushmeat for sale (commercial)
  • Sometimes accidental bycatch (snares set for small game catch large animals)
Scale:
  • Thousands of snares removed annually
  • Many more undetected in remote areas
  • Problem increases during economic hardship
Anti-Snaring Efforts:
  • De-Snaring Patrols: Rangers and anti-poaching teams remove snares
  • Sniffer Dogs: Trained to detect wire snares
  • Community Reporting: Incentives for reporting snare locations
  • Veterinary Teams: Treating injured animals (especially elephants, wild dogs)
  • Prosecution: Snaring is illegal with significant penalties
Success Stories:
  • Painted Dog Conservation: Hundreds of injured dogs treated and released
  • Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery: Rehabilitating orphaned and injured elephants
  • De-snaring teams in Gonarezhou and Hwange removing thousands of snares
Organizations:
  • Painted Dog Conservation
  • International Anti-Poaching Foundation (Akashinga female rangers)
  • Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
  • Wildlife & Environment Zimbabwe
How to Help:
  • Report any snares you see to park authorities
  • Support anti-snaring organizations
  • Visit rehabilitation centers
  • Choose tour operators with anti-snaring commitments
Pressure Points:
  • Agricultural expansion into wildlife corridors
  • Settlements around park boundaries
  • Firewood collection and logging
  • Mining operations near protected areas
  • Infrastructure development (roads, dams)
Consequences:
  • Wildlife corridors blocked
  • Populations isolated (genetic problems)
  • Increased human-wildlife conflict
  • Habitat degradation
  • Species unable to follow traditional migration routes
Mitigation:
  • Transfrontier Conservation Areas: KAZA and Great Limpopo reconnect habitats
  • Wildlife Corridors: Protected linkages between parks
  • Community Conservation: CAMPFIRE gives communities stake in protection
  • Land Use Planning: Zoning to separate settlements and wildlife
  • Sustainable Resource Use: Controlled firewood collection, grazing
Successes:
  • Sengwe Corridor linking Gonarezhou to Kruger restored
  • KAZA TFCA creating 520,000 km² of connected habitat
  • Community conservancies establishing buffer zones
  • Fence removal allowing natural migrations
Effects on Wildlife:
  • More frequent and severe droughts
  • Water source depletion
  • Vegetation changes affecting grazers and browsers
  • Food scarcity during extreme weather
  • Disease outbreaks due to stress
  • Changed migration patterns
Recent Events:
  • 2015-2016 drought killed hundreds of elephants, buffalo in Hwange
  • Waterhole management became critical for survival
  • Supplemental feeding necessary in extreme conditions
Adaptation Strategies:
  • Artificial waterholes to supplement natural sources
  • Borehole drilling in parks
  • Vegetation management
  • Migration corridor protection
  • Research on climate-resilient conservation
Long-term Concerns:
  • Shifting habitat suitability
  • Species range changes
  • Increased human-wildlife conflict as animals seek resources
  • Ecosystem transformations
Tourist Role:
  • Support climate-resilient conservation
  • Reduce carbon footprint of travel (offsets)
  • Support sustainable tourism operations
  • Understand crisis context during drought years

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Community-Based Conservation

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Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources

Overview: Pioneering program (est. 1989) giving rural communities rights to benefit from wildlife on their land.How It Works:1. Wildlife Ownership:
  • Communities granted authority over wildlife on communal lands
  • Can lease hunting rights and safari concessions
  • Retain revenue from wildlife use
2. Revenue Generation:
  • Sport hunting quotas (strictly controlled)
  • Photographic safari leases
  • Craft sales to tourists
  • Accommodation for tourists
  • Compensation for crop/livestock damage
3. Revenue Distribution:
  • Funds go to rural district councils
  • Distributed to communities and households
  • Used for schools, clinics, roads, water projects
  • Employment as scouts, guides, staff
4. Conservation Incentive:
  • Wildlife becomes economic asset
  • Communities protect wildlife from poaching
  • Tolerance for wildlife presence increases
  • Pride in conservation role
Results:
  • Wildlife populations increased in CAMPFIRE areas
  • Over $2 million annually to communities (at peak)
  • Poaching reduced in participating districts
  • Model replicated in Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique
  • Recognition as world-leading conservation approach
Challenges:
  • Revenue distribution not always equitable
  • Administrative capacity varies by district
  • Hunting ban fluctuations affect income
  • Human-wildlife conflict still occurs
  • Climate impacts (drought) affect wildlife populations
Tourist Impact:
  • Staying in CAMPFIRE areas directly benefits communities
  • Photographic tourism increasingly replacing hunting
  • Demonstrating value of living wildlife
  • Cultural exchanges and employment
CAMPFIRE Districts:
  • Surrounding Hwange, Gonarezhou, Mana Pools
  • Communal lands in Masvingo, Matabeleland, Mashonaland

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Key Conservation Organizations

Role: Government authority managing all national parks, wildlife estates, and conservationResponsibilities:
  • Park management and ranger deployment
  • Anti-poaching operations
  • Wildlife monitoring and research
  • Translocation programs
  • Problem animal control
  • Permitting and regulation
Challenges:
  • Underfunding and resource constraints
  • Equipment shortages
  • Ranger salary and morale issues
  • Balancing conservation with human needs
Successes:
  • Maintained wildlife populations despite challenges
  • Established Intensive Protection Zones
  • Transfrontier conservation leadership
  • Community conservation programs
How to Support:
  • Pay park fees (funds operations)
  • Report wildlife crime
  • Follow all park rules
  • Provide feedback on services
Contact: www.zimparks.zw
Location: Hwange National ParkMission: African wild dog conservation through research, education, and community supportPrograms:
  • Wildlife rehabilitation center (treating injured wild dogs, other species)
  • Anti-poaching: de-snaring, K9 unit, community scouts
  • Education: local schools, international volunteers
  • Research: radio collaring, population monitoring
  • Community support: human-wildlife conflict mitigation
Achievements:
  • Over 100 wild dogs rehabilitated and released
  • Thousands of snares removed annually
  • Education reaching 10,000+ children yearly
  • Contributing to Zimbabwe’s stable wild dog population
Visit:
  • Rehabilitation center open to visitors
  • Educational displays about wild dogs and conservation
  • Souvenir shop (proceeds support conservation)
  • Volunteer opportunities
Support:
  • Visit the center (entry fees support operations)
  • Adopt a painted dog
  • Donate directly
  • Purchase merchandise
Website: www.painteddog.org
Program: Akashinga (“The Brave Ones”)Unique Approach:
  • All-female anti-poaching rangers
  • Recruits from disadvantaged backgrounds (survivors of abuse, single mothers)
  • Community-driven conservation model
  • Operates in Lower Zambezi Valley
Impact:
  • Over 115 female rangers trained and deployed
  • Protecting 1.3 million acres of wilderness
  • Zero elephant poaching in protected areas
  • Empowering women and transforming communities
  • Changing perceptions of women in conservation
Recognition:
  • Featured in National Geographic documentary “The Brave Ones”
  • International awards for conservation and women’s empowerment
Philosophy:
  • Nature conservation, social empowerment, and economic opportunity are inseparable
  • Women more effective at community engagement
  • Conservation must benefit local people
Support:
  • Donations
  • Volunteer programs
  • Partner with IAPF-protected areas
Website: www.iapf.org
Role: Advocacy, monitoring, and public awarenessActivities:
  • Wildlife crime monitoring and reporting
  • Advocacy for stronger protection
  • Public awareness campaigns
  • Supporting conservation organizations
  • Research and documentation
Focus Areas:
  • Anti-poaching advocacy
  • Habitat protection
  • Climate change impacts
  • Human-wildlife conflict
  • Conservation policy
How to Support:
  • Follow on social media for conservation updates
  • Report wildlife crime
  • Participate in awareness campaigns
  • Donations
Website: www.wez.org.zw
Mission: Bird conservation through research, advocacy, and educationPrograms:
  • Important Bird Area (IBA) monitoring
  • Vulture conservation (critically endangered species)
  • Endemic species protection
  • Habitat preservation
  • Citizen science (bird counts, atlasing)
Key Issues:
  • Vulture poisoning crisis (decimating populations)
  • Habitat loss
  • Climate change impacts on bird populations
  • Invasive species
Activities:
  • Annual bird counts and surveys
  • Conservation education
  • Policy advocacy
  • Community conservation projects
Support:
  • Join bird walks and counts
  • Report bird sightings (citizen science)
  • Membership
  • Donations
Website: www.birdlifezimbabwe.org
Mission: Rescue, rehabilitate, and release orphaned and injured elephantsLocated: Near HarareCases:
  • Orphaned calves (mothers killed by poaching, conflict, natural causes)
  • Snare injuries (trunks, legs)
  • Human-wildlife conflict casualties
  • Drought and illness victims
Process:
  • Rescue and emergency care
  • Intensive 24/7 care by keepers
  • Socialization with other elephants
  • Gradual reintroduction to wild herds
  • Long-term monitoring
Successes:
  • Multiple elephants successfully released
  • Raising awareness about elephant conservation
  • Treating severe injuries allowing survival
Challenges:
  • Expensive long-term care (elephants require years of support)
  • Finding appropriate release sites
  • Funding constraints
Support:
  • Adopt an elephant
  • Visit the nursery (check availability)
  • Donations
  • Sponsor specific projects
Website: www.zimbabweelephantnursery.com

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Research & Monitoring Programs

Ongoing Research:
  • Lion populations: Long-term studies in Hwange, Mana Pools, Matusadona
  • Elephant behavior: Human-elephant interaction research
  • Wild dog ecology: Population dynamics, ranging behavior, disease
  • Vulture conservation: Tracking populations, identifying threats
  • Leopard research: Camera trap studies, population estimates
  • Bird monitoring: Atlas projects, Important Bird Area assessments
  • Vegetation dynamics: Climate change impacts, fire management
  • Human-wildlife conflict: Mitigation strategy effectiveness
Research Organizations:
  • Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Authority
  • University of Zimbabwe
  • National University of Science & Technology
  • Painted Dog Conservation
  • African Wildlife Conservation Fund
  • Various international university partnerships
Citizen Science Opportunities:
  • Bird counts and atlasing (BirdLife Zimbabwe)
  • Wildlife sighting reporting (various apps and platforms)
  • Photography for identification research
  • Reporting human-wildlife conflict incidents
  • Track and sign documentation

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How Your Visit Supports Conservation

1

Park Entrance Fees

Every dollar you pay to enter a park goes directly to:
  • Ranger salaries and training
  • Anti-poaching patrols
  • Park maintenance and infrastructure
  • Wildlife monitoring and research
  • Community conservation programs
2

Accommodation Choices

Staying at conservation-focused lodges:
  • Creates employment for local communities
  • Funds private anti-poaching units
  • Supports community development projects
  • Protects habitat through private conservation
  • Demonstrates value of living wildlife
Look for lodges with:
  • Community partnerships
  • Conservation levies
  • Anti-poaching programs
  • Environmental certifications
3

Responsible Tourism Practices

Following ethical guidelines:
  • Reduces wildlife disturbance
  • Protects habitats
  • Sets positive example for others
  • Supports conservation reputation
  • Encourages more sustainable tourism
Your responsible behavior matters!
4

Conservation Activities

Participating in conservation experiences:
  • Rhino tracking walks (funds rhino protection)
  • Visiting rehabilitation centers (supports their work)
  • Purchasing conservation merchandise
  • Attending educational programs
  • Donating directly to conservation organizations
5

Sharing Your Experience

Positive advocacy helps conservation:
  • Share your experiences (responsibly - no rhino locations!)
  • Educate others about conservation challenges
  • Support conservation organizations on social media
  • Write reviews highlighting conservation efforts
  • Inspire others to visit Zimbabwe
Your voice amplifies conservation messages!

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Conservation Volunteering Opportunities

Painted Dog Conservation

Duration: 2-12 weeksActivities:
  • Wildlife monitoring and research
  • De-snaring patrols
  • Education program support
  • Rehabilitation center assistance
  • Community outreach
Requirements:
  • 18+ years old
  • Good physical fitness
  • Enthusiasm for conservation
Website: www.painteddog.org/volunteer

Wildlife Veterinary Programs

For: Veterinary students and professionalsActivities:
  • Wildlife capture and treatment
  • Disease monitoring
  • Injury treatment (snares, etc.)
  • Population health assessments
Organizations:
  • Wildlife Veterinary Services Zimbabwe
  • Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery
  • Various research programs

Research Volunteers

Fields:
  • Wildlife biology and ecology
  • Conservation management
  • Human-wildlife conflict
  • Habitat assessment
Organizations:
  • University research programs
  • BirdLife Zimbabwe
  • Various NGOs
Duration: Varies (weeks to months)

Community Conservation

Activities:
  • Education programs in schools
  • Community workshops
  • Human-wildlife conflict mitigation
  • Sustainable livelihoods support
Organizations:
  • Various NGOs working in CAMPFIRE areas
  • Community-based conservation projects
Skills Needed: Education, development, community engagement

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What You Can Do

✅ Do:
  • Pay all park fees and conservation levies
  • Choose lodges with strong conservation commitments
  • Follow all park rules and ethical guidelines
  • Participate in conservation activities
  • Purchase conservation merchandise
  • Tip staff generously (supports livelihoods)
  • Report wildlife crime or injured animals
  • Share positive conservation stories
  • Learn about challenges and solutions
❌ Don’t:
  • Share rhino sighting locations on social media
  • Feed or harass wildlife
  • Litter or pollute
  • Purchase illegal wildlife products
  • Support unethical tourism operations
  • Go off-road or damage habitat
  • Create excessive noise or disturbance

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The Future of Conservation in Zimbabwe

Opportunities:
  • Transfrontier conservation expanding (KAZA, Great Limpopo)
  • Technology improving anti-poaching (drones, sensors, AI)
  • Growing ecotourism market valuing conservation
  • Successful community conservation models
  • Youth engagement and conservation education increasing
  • International partnerships strengthening
Challenges Ahead:
  • Climate change intensifying
  • Human population growth pressuring wildlife areas
  • Economic challenges affecting conservation funding
  • Poaching remaining persistent threat
  • Balancing conservation and development needs
The Role of Tourism: Tourism is essential to Zimbabwe’s conservation success. Your visit:
  • Validates conservation investment
  • Creates economic alternatives to poaching
  • Employs communities living with wildlife
  • Funds protection and research
  • Demonstrates global support for conservation
Your impact matters. Every safari, every park visit, every dollar spent on ethical tourism supports the people and programs protecting Zimbabwe’s extraordinary wildlife for future generations.

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Learn More

For Wildlife Information: For Planning Your Conservation-Focused Visit: For Responsible Tourism:
Conservation is a collective effort. Your responsible tourism makes a real difference in protecting Zimbabwe’s incredible wildlife heritage. Last updated: January 2025