European Journal of Social Sciences Studies ISSN: 2501-8590 ISSN-L: 2501-8590 Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/soc Volume 2 │ Issue 9 │ 2017 doi: 10.5281/zenodo.1148817 ZIMBABWE’S PARKS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY: CHALLENGES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Jemitias Mapirai Department of Geography & Environmental Science, Great Zimbabwe University, Zimbabwe Abstract: Over the centuries, there has been a widespread destruction of wildlife species at the global level. Some of the causes of wildlife extinctions have been the loss of habitats due to global population growth rates. Some areas which used to be habitats for wildlife have been turned into commercial farms, towns and cities. In traditional Africa wildlife co-existed peacefully with human populations. Although some animals were occasionally hunted for meat and ivory, this practice could never upset the ecological balance due to the primitive nature of the weapons which were employed. However, with the advent of colonialism, many animal species were driven to extinction due to the efficiency of the weapons which were used. The use of fire arms in hunting expeditions became a major threat to animals such as elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, lions and impalas. While in North America many species such as the passenger pigeon disappeared, in Africa many have survived although they are still under threat from poachers. This paper examines the challenges which confront the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (PWMA) in the conservation of wildlife species such as elephants, lions, rhinos, buffaloes and impala. It focuses on the challenges which have occurred since 2000 during the Fast Track Land Reform Programme FTLRP . It is based on information which was collected in October, 2017. This involved the use of secondary and primary sources of information including interviews and questionnaires. Keywords: wildlife, threats, challenges, solutions, Zimbabwe Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. © 2015 – 2017 Open Access Publishing Group 247 Jemitias Mapira ZIMBABWE S PARKS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY: CHALLENGES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 1. Introduction The term wildlife embraces all living organisms which occur naturally in the wild. This includes plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates (Miller, 1994). Research has shown that southern Africa contains a wide range of plant and animal species which is greater than that of most countries in the world (Chenje and Johnson, 1994). During the first decade after independence in 1980, Zimbabwe had a total of 88.000 elephants (ZTV Evening News, 24 July, 2017). However, over the years the figure has declined to 85-000. Some of the causes of this decline in numbers include: deforestation, and grazing, water pollution, uncontrolled fires, human wildlife conflicts, elephant overpopulation, wildlife-borne diseases and wildlife poaching. For example, in recent years poachers have employed cyanide poisoning in order to kill elephants and rhinos in the Hwange Game Reserve (Mapira, 2014). Media reports suggest that some top government officials have been involved in this scandal. Ivory and rhino horns have been smuggled out of the country to China, India and South Africa. Other areas of wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe include the Gonarezhou Game Reserve, Save Conservancy and Mana Pools. In addition, there are several national parks which are scattered throughout the country. Examples include the Lion Park, Snake Park and Kyle National Park. Although there were no clearly defined land-use divisions during the precolonial era, there were no serious threats to wildlife (Chenje and Johnson, 1994). In fact people and wildlife maintained a balanced co-existence within the ecosystem. While animals were hunted for meat or ivory, this practice did not pose a major threat due to the primitive weapons which were employed such as bows and arrows, spears and pits. However, colonialism brought highly lethal weapons such as guns which decimated some animals such as elephants, rhinos, buffaloes and impalas. However, the creation of game reserves, national parks and conservancies brought a sustainable solution for the preservation of wildlife. In more recent years Zimbabwe s Local Resources Management (LRM) was established in order to address issues of wildlife management. It is based on three major principles. Firstly, it recognizes the role of the local community to the ownership of wildlife resources. During the 1990s, a new approach to the conservation of natural resources was developed in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare. It came to be known as the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE). In this new approach, local people in communal areas have a strong impact in the management and protection of wildlife resources. For example, the regular culling of wildlife is conducted. Animal products such as ivory are European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 9 │ 2017 248 Jemitias Mapira ZIMBABWE S PARKS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY: CHALLENGES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT sold in order to generate income for the protection of wildlife. Over the years, this approach has proved to be successful in the management of wildlife. In some rural communities, people now view wildlife as an important resource which has direct benefits to them. This is in sharp contrast with the traditional view which saw wildlife as either a threat or a nuisance to the surrounding community. Secondly, formal and informal structures facilitate community participation in wildlife management. Finally, it creates the operation of sharing of the benefits of wildlife resources with communities. This paper examines the challenge of wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe. It focuses on the conservation of mammals only. Previous research has shown that the country faces three major challenges. These, according to Gratwicke and Stapelkamp (2006) include: the threat from poachers especially on privately owned conservatives and game farms, the catastrophic loss of endangered species such as black rhinos and painted dogs and finally numerous risks of animal populations in communal areas and national parks. For viewing / downloading the full article, please access the following link: https://oapub.org/soc/index.php/EJSSS/article/view/298 European Journal of Social Sciences Studies - Volume 2 │ Issue 9 │ 2017 249