Environmentalists are concerned that increased helicopter flights to Victoria Falls will have a negative impact on elephants in Zimbabwe. South Africa hopes that there will be a tourism boom next year when they host the World Cup and more flights to the falls are expected. – BBC NEWS

British trophy hunters have been paying Mugabe’s corrupt regime in Zimbabwe to participate in elephant culls. The hunters participate in tracking and killing the elephants and have their photos taken with the dead animals. Not only do I find culling abhorrent but I also find it deplorable that anyone would give Mugabe any money.

The Times of India

“The first officially sanctioned sale of ivory in southern Africa for almost a decade opened on Tuesday.” – BBC NEWS

“Zimbabwe’s once thriving wildlife and tourism industry is under serious threat as authorities continue to kill elephants and other animals at an alarming rate.” – SW Radio Africa

“Zimbabwe’s wildlife is being decimated by the impact of its economic crisis, conservationists claimed on Thursday.” – Gulfnews

“Elephants in Zimbabwe are being shot and eaten as wildlife is decimated by the impact of the country’s economic crisis, activists claimed today.” – Telegraph

“Coming out of the 14th Conference of the Parties (CoP14) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) last year in The Hague, two things were certain: firstly, that Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe would be allowed to sell registered stocks of ivory in the near future and, secondly, that a nine-year moratorium on any further ivory sales would come into effect following the sales.” – Daily Dispatch Online

“Animal support groups fear for elephants in India and Africa following the British government’s official backing to China to buy ivory. The government voted in China’s favour at the UN, despite protests from its own MPs. The vote, at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), gives China the right to buy ivory auctioned by four southern African countries, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.” – Thaindian News

“Conservationists have condemned a move to allow China to buy huge amounts of ivory.” – Sky News

“The arrest in May of two Chinese visitors at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta airport rang alarm bells among animal welfare groups in Kenya. During a routine baggage check, customs officials found Shubo Liang and Tao Gu had stuffed 240lbs (110kg) of ivory into their bags” – The Independent

“News broke last night that China will be allowed to buy legal African stocks of ivory in a one-off sale. The announcement was criticised by conservation groups – including the International Fund for Animal Welfare – who fear that China’s poor record in controlling the ivory trade could open the doors to illegal elephant poaching.” – New Scientist

“Marauding elephants that escaped from the Hwange National Park, an animal sanctuary in rural southwestern Zimbabwe, are destroying any hopes among peasant farmers of a moderately successful harvest. ” – IRIN Africa

“Zimbabwe plans to kill hundreds of elephants and turn them into biltong, a local dried meat snack usually enjoyed with a beer in front of a game of soccer or rugby, officials here have said.” – The Australian

“Tusker is dead, shot by rangers after New Year’s revellers at a safari camp provoked the elephant into trampling several cars, conservationists said on Monday.” – Mail & Guardian Online

“The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe plans to produce biltong from elephant meat to sell in retail outlets throughout the country “as part of sustainable utilisation of the animals,” the Herald online said.” – The Times

“There is such an acute food shortage in Zimbabwe that people are resorting to shooting elephants to stave off the hunger.” – News24

“This week three Zimbabwean elephants proved that rhinos and elephants can form close bonds, and that elephants do mourn. ” – IOL

“The Alaska Zoo has announced that it will send Maggie, a 27-year-old African elephant, to the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) sanctuary in California. This is fantastic news for Maggie! Maggie was captured in Zimbabwe in 1981 during a cull?a killing operation intended to reduce the population of wild elephants.” – RacingWest