Latest news with #TinasheFarawo
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Yahoo
Rage Over New Trophy Hunting Slaying Echoes Cecil the Lion
Outrage has erupted after a trophy hunter killed a lion named Blondie who was part of an Oxford University study after allegedly luring it out of a wildlife reserve. Africa Geographic, the safari company that sponsored Blondie's tracking collar, claims that the 5-year-old male lion was coaxed with bait into a hunting area over a period of weeks in June. The company also posted a photo to Facebook that they say shows the hunter and his guides standing over the lion's carcass. Africa Geographic CEO Simon Espley told the Associated Press that the killing made 'a mockery of the ethics' that hunters say they hold, as Blondie was a breeding male in his prime with a visible collar. 'That Blondie's prominent collar did not prevent him from being offered to a hunting client confirms the stark reality that no lion is safe from trophy hunting guns,' Espley said. Tinashe Farawo, a spokesperson for Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, defended the slaying in a statement to the AP. He said that he is not aware of evidence that Blondie was lured but added that there 'is nothing unethical or illegal about that for anyone who knows how lions are hunted. This is how people hunt.' 'Our rangers were present,' Farawo said. 'All paperwork was in order. Collars are for research purposes, but they don't make the animal immune to hunting.' Farawo declined to reveal the hunter's identity to the Associated Press, and while there has been speculation about the person's identity, it remains unconfirmed. While hunting lions has been banned in some African nations, it remains legal in Zimbabwe. Lions are classified as a vulnerable species, with just 20,000 remaining in Africa. Blondie's death echoes the slaying of Cecil, a lion from the same reserve in Zimbabwe, who was lured away and killed by an American hunter almost exactly 10 years earlier. The killing of Cecil ignited fury and protests against the hunter behind it—Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer—and brought attention to the issue of big game trophy hunting. Palmer reportedly paid $50,000 to his guides to help give him the opportunity to kill Cecil, which he did using a bow and arrow. After the outcry, Palmer expressed regret. 'If I had known this lion had a name and was important to the country or a study, obviously I wouldn't have taken it,' he said. 'Nobody in our hunting party knew before or after the name of this lion.'


Time of India
05-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Zimbabwe to cull dozens of elephants to curb population and distribute meat to communities
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The southern African country, Zimbabwe , announced on Tuesday that it will slaughter dozens of elephants to control the population size and the meat from the carcasses will be distributed among the has the world's second largest elephant population after wildlife agency, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority ZimParks ) said it has given permission to Save Valley Conservancy , a large private game reserve in the southeast, to carry out the elephant population control wildlife agency said it will first kill 50 elephants. It didn't say how many will be killed in total or how long the process will to a recent 2024 aerial survey, there are 2,550 elephants living in Save Valley Conservancy, however, the land can only support 800 elephants. Too many elephants can lead to damage to the ecosystem, including plants and other animals. The agency believes that reducing the number of elephants is necessary to protect the the past five years, at least 200 elephants have been translocated to other a statement, ZimParks said, "Elephant meat from the management exercise will be distributed to local communities while ivory will be state property that will be handed over to the ZimParks for safekeeping."Zimbabwe can't sell the ivory tusks due to worldwide ban on ivory spokesman Tinashe Farawo told ABC News on Wednesday that the "management exercise" is "not culling," as the latter "involves wiping [out] the whole herd in huge numbers."He did not respond to a question about how many elephants will be killed in total or how long the process will year, the wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe culled 200 elephants to provide food for communities that suffered from the drought. It was the first major cull since 1988 that took place in districts such as Hwange, Mbire, Tsholotsho and move to hunt the elephants for food has drawn sharp criticism worldwide, mainly because elephants are a source of attraction to many tourists.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Zimbabwe to kill dozens of elephants and distribute meat to people
LONDON -- Zimbabwe has announced that dozens of its elephants will be killed to control the population size and the meat from the carcasses will be distributed to people. The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, also known as ZimParks, said it has issued permits to Save Valley Conservancy, a large private game reserve in the southeast, "for an elephant management exercise." "The management quota is meant to address the growing elephant population in the region and will initially target 50 elephants," the agency said in a statement Tuesday. "According to the 2024 aerial survey, there are 2,550 elephants against an ecological carrying capacity of 800 elephants in Save Valley Conservancy." MORE: Study explores elephant greetings and how they change based on social relationships The reserve has translocated 200 elephants to other areas in the southern African nation over the past five years "to manage the elephant population and protect the wildlife habitat," according to ZimParks. "Elephant meat from the management exercise will be distributed to local communities while ivory will be State property that will be handed over to the ZimParks for safekeeping," the agency added. A global ban on ivory trade bars Zimbabwe from selling its stockpile of elephant tusks. MORE: 'Double joy': Rare elephant twins born in Kenya's Samburu National Reserve ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo told ABC News on Wednesday that the "management exercise" is "not culling," as the latter "involves wiping [out] the whole herd in huge numbers." He did not respond to a question about how many elephants in total will be killed in this instance and over what period of time. ABC News has reached out to Save Valley Conservancy for comment. Zimbabwe is home to the second-largest population of elephants in the world, after neighboring Botswana. ABC News' Liezl Thom contributed to this report. Zimbabwe to kill dozens of elephants and distribute meat to people originally appeared on

04-06-2025
- General
Zimbabwe to kill dozens of elephants and distribute meat to people
LONDON -- Zimbabwe has announced that dozens of its elephants will be killed to control the population size and the meat from the carcasses will be distributed to people. The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, also known as ZimParks, said it has issued permits to Save Valley Conservancy, a large private game reserve in the southeast, "for an elephant management exercise." "The management quota is meant to address the growing elephant population in the region and will initially target 50 elephants," the agency said in a statement Tuesday. "According to the 2024 aerial survey, there are 2,550 elephants against an ecological carrying capacity of 800 elephants in Save Valley Conservancy." The reserve has translocated 200 elephants to other areas in the southern African nation over the past five years "to manage the elephant population and protect the wildlife habitat," according to ZimParks. "Elephant meat from the management exercise will be distributed to local communities while ivory will be State property that will be handed over to the ZimParks for safekeeping," the agency added. A global ban on ivory trade bars Zimbabwe from selling its stockpile of elephant tusks. ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo told ABC News on Wednesday that the "management exercise" is "not culling," as the latter "involves wiping [out] the whole herd in huge numbers." He did not respond to a question about how many elephants in total will be killed in this instance and over what period of time. ABC News has reached out to Save Valley Conservancy for comment. Zimbabwe is home to the second-largest population of elephants in the world, after neighboring Botswana.


Bloomberg
03-06-2025
- General
- Bloomberg
Zimbabwe to Allow Killing of 50 Elephants to Curb Overpopulation
Zimbabwe will allow the killing of 50 elephants at a key conservancy area as part of efforts to manage growing populations of the mammals, which have led to increased human-wildlife conflict and put pressure on the environment. The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said the Save Valley Conservancy has been issued with permits for an 'elephant management exercise,' which will initially target this first elephant batch, according to Tinashe Farawo, the spokesperson at the authority.