A woman from Figtree in Matabeleland South Province and her family were given groceries worth US$50.00, T-shirts and conservation books by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) after she handed over a live pangolin that she had encountered in the veld.
Portia Moyo from Mahenya Village received the gifts from Zimparks principal wildlife investigation and security officer Amos Gwema.
Gwema told VicFallsLive that the gift was meant to encourage communities to conserve wildlife. Gwema said:
I handed over a grocery hamper worth US$50 to Portia Moyo of Mahenya Village after she picked a live pangolin while she was cutting thatching grass.
I also handed three T-shirts to the family with a conservation message to appeal to the community against committing wildlife crimes.
Portia Moyo was very thankful and she encouraged me to continue doing the good work because she said the community is rarely recognised in wildlife conservation.
She spoke touchingly saying ‘You are a rare person, who remembers us, poor villagers, most funds are used by elites on meetings and on hotels without recognising the poor villagers who reside side by side with these animals.
Gwema said the pangolin has been released back to the Hwange National Park.