Those supposed to protect...

Zambia’s Luangwa Valley elephant poaching war continues…by I.P.A. Manning

I recently reported the killing of three elephant and the wounding of another on 12 November 2006 near my safari camp, Malone - now closed for the rainy season. On 30 November, close to Malone, a fusillade of shots were fired at 7.00 am, some two hours later, my terrified workers watched as scores of vultures moved in. In the camp, having arrived late the previous day was my employee, David, who had been in Malone during the previous incident.

On 29 November, four armed scouts, two from the nearby town of Nyimba, two from the nearby Ndevu game camp – one going by the name of Siliya, came to Malone at 10.00 am. Here they washed, rested and cooked a meal, leaving camp at 2.00 pm. The following morning war broke out. Later in the day, David went down to the river and was told by fishermen that they had seen some men running away from the shooting. David then left for Lusaka and when passing through Nyimba, saw Mr Chibeka of the Zambia Wildlife Authority who said he would be going to Ndevu camp on 5 December to collect his scouts – and doubtless the meat. He complained of missing meat from the previous incident.
The Nyimba police have refused to investigate our complaints, saying it is a matter for ZAWA.