Zimbabwe selling off wildlife to curb drought-induced deaths

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) put its wild animals up for sale on Tuesday, in efforts to de-stock the wildlife population to avert drought-induced deaths.

The authority said that selling excess wild animals would ensure that the available pastures and water resources aren’t exhausted before the onset of the next rainy season.

ZimParks said that selling the animals would also give some of them new homes while easing its financial burden, as it says that it receives little government funding and struggles to get by on what it earns through hunting and tourism.

“In light of the drought … Parks and Wildlife Management Authority intends to de-stock its parks estates through selling some of the wildlife,“ the authority said in a statement.

In light of the drought ... Parks and Wildlife Management Authority intends to de-stock its parks estates through selling some of the wildlife

Zimparks says it intends to destock its estates bcz of drought & will be selling wildlife.

Want a lion? Get in touch with them 😂

— Clarkson Mambo (cemambo) May 1, 2016

Members of the public with the capacity to acquire and manage wildlife and enough land to hold the animals have also been asked to sign expression on interest forms, whose submission deadline is May 20th.

Recently, the country’s Environment, Water and Climate minister, Oppah Muchinguri, had warned that wild pastures and water sources would diminish owing to the El-Nino-induced drought.

Poachers are also said to leverage on the drought which has since made the animals vulnerable.

More than 4 million Zimbabweans need food aid as the drought has affected their food crops and export earnings, from maize to tobacco.