Rutendo Chirume
The Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG) has called for the government to prioritise wildlife conservation following the deaths of 19 hippopotamuses along the Zambezi Valley.
The deaths occurred over three months; 18 in the Sapi Safari area, and one in Chirundu.
In a statement released on January 09, CNRG raised concerns over poor mining methods being practiced across the country saying that the wildlife deaths could be linked to alkaline sodium cyanide solution disposed into rivers during opencast mining.
“The expansion of destructive mining activities reflects deteriorating governance standards within Zimbabwe’s resource sector, often prioritising short-term economic gains over environmental sustainability and the well-being of local communities. This growing disregard for environmental laws is alarming, especially when coupled with the lack of meaningful oversight from the relevant authorities.
“It is no coincidence that the deaths of white rhinoceros and fish at Lake Chivero and the hippos in the Zambezi Valley occurred during the rainy season. The rains wash the poorly-disposed cyanide into surface runoff, contaminating rivers and dams. The threat to humans is extremely high,” the statement reads in part.
In a statement, however, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) stated that there were no anthrax symptoms or any gross abnormalities on the tested sample results. Instead, Zimparks said, the hippos could have died of hunger since they walked at most 10km in search of feed.
“About 50 percent of the hippo population were in very poor body condition, with pelvic bones and the spine showing prominently, which is a sign of malnutrition or lack of adequate food.
“While recent rainfall in the region offers hope for the recovery of the hippo population, our findings strongly indicate that the majority of deaths so far are directly linked to severe nutritional deficits rather than infectious diseases,” the statement partly reads.
In December 2023, four rhinos, three zebras, four wildebeests, fish eagles, and some livestock died of cyanobacteria at Lake Chivero Recreational Park after drinking water contaminated water.
