The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has called for urgent collective funding from local, regional, and international players to support elephant conservation efforts in Zimbabwe and beyond.
In a statement, ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said the concern was raised during a review of the Zimbabwe Elephant Management Plan 2021–2025, held from 25 to 26 June 2025.
ZimParks stated that the objective of the review was to assess the implementation of the plan and evaluate the effectiveness of current management processes used in conservation efforts.
Farawo said the workshop was convened with funding from Conservation Force and the Dallas Safari Club, two United States-based pro-sustainable organizations that have played a pivotal role in supporting ZimParks for decades.
He added that traditional leaders in Hwange District expressed concerns about the strained relationship between the government and local communities.
“Human-wildlife conflict has been a major concern within these communities,” he said.
Farawo emphasized the importance of securing funding from all stakeholders to address the challenges of human-wildlife conflict.
“The country’s conservation efforts are severely underfunded. The current budget for Hwange National Park falls below USD 500,000 annually, compared to the USD 21 million typically required to manage well-funded protected areas in Southern Africa,” he noted.
Five chiefs from Hwange attended the workshop and voiced their frustrations over the lack of tangible benefits for communities living near elephant habitats and the absence of relief for injured residents.
“The traditional leaders expressed concern about ongoing poverty in their communities, which is worsened by crop raiding, competition for resources, and incidents of injury and property damage caused by elephants,” said Farawo.
At the conclusion of the workshop, the two U.S.-based organizations, along with the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association, donated a new Land Cruiser, two state-of-the-art drones equipped with thermal cameras for hippopotamus surveys in Zimbabwe, 15 laptops, and five printers.
