Elephants killed by staff 'in lieu' of wages
Friday August 15 2008
Zimbabwe's wildlife is being decimated by the impact of the country's economic crisis, conservationists claimed yesterday.
Almost 2,000 elephants have been killed in and around the Hwange national park this year, the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF) claimed. It said that the national parks' department intended to authorise the shooting of 1,000 more.
The killings were the result of a combination of hunting, poaching and an alleged culling programme that he believed was a cover for illegal ivory trade, according to the ZCTF.
"The actual employees can shoot these animals in lieu of wages," he claimed. "It's the only way they can survive. With the economic meltdown these guys are getting paid about US$7 a month, way below the poverty line. They shoot the animals and sell the meat to the locals.'' (© Daily Telegraph, London)
- Sebastien Berger in Johannesburg
