The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) is offering a reward of US$2,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the recent poaching of three lions in Hwange National Park.
On Tuesday, ZimParks rangers discovered the carcasses of the lions at Nyamandlovu Pan, near Hwange Main Camp. The bodies had been mutilated, with their heads and paws removed.
ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo confirmed the reward and said all the information will be treated with strict confidence. He can be contacted at 0772433901 for any leads.
Hwange National Park is known for housing Africa’s “Big Five”—lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffaloes.
However, the global population of wild African lions has seen a drastic decline, with estimates now around 23,000, down from approximately 200,000 at the start of the last century, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
In Zimbabwe, the lion population is estimated to be around 2,000.
More: Pindula News