By Noah Pito
KARIBA – A poacher was recently trampled to death by an elephant in Charara National Park, Gatshe-Gatshe, Kariba, after he failed to gun down the jumbo during a hunting expedition.
The remains of Solomon Manjoro alias Tshuma of Gokwe were discovered by Magunje police a fortnight ago after his colleague, Noluck Tafuruka (29), was arrested on allegations of possessing firearms without a licence.
Tafuruka of Nyamhunga Village under Chief Nyamhunga, Hurungwe, and co-accused Godfrey Shonge (52) of Hatfield in Harare have since appeared before Karoi magistrate Mrs Nyaradzo Ringisayi charged with contravening a section of the Parks and Wildlife Act and possessing a firearm without a licence.
It is understood between April 19 and 26, Manjoro and Tafuruka, who were armed with two rifles, allegedly visited Charara National Park for the sole purpose of poaching.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently lists African elephants as “vulnerable.” Along with rhinos, the species is actively hunted in Africa, the rhinoceros for its horns, the elephant for its valuable ivory tusks.
In Zimbabwe, however, the elephant population is booming, with more than 100,000 animals, despite reports of starving soldiers eating elephants and poachers poisoning their water holes. Sunday Mail/MSN.com
