Dear Supporters

Firstly, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to all those who have recently contributed to supporting this unit and it's operations.

All your kindness and generosity give us all at VFAPU the continued determination and motivation to fight the menace of poaching. Of late, there have definitely been times where we have thought that it is indeed a losing battle we are fighting, BUT we have to remind ourselves that there are all of you out there who have the belief in what we are doing.

Thank you all.

We ALL stand to gain as much as each other by protecting our precious natural resources.

Well, poaching in all it's destructive forms, has been a great nuisance over the last few months since my last report. As one can expect with the chaotic economy, more and more people have to turn to poaching as an option for survival.

Wood poaching continues to causes major problems

There are those who are in it for purely commercial values and these are the poachers we like to target the most. We continue with our efforts to work with and even challenge other stakeholders to come up with these much talked of "alternative" solutions especially regarding the fuel (firewood) poachers.

VFAPU continues to strike wherever and whenever possible. Since my last report, we have apprehended forty-two commercial wood poachers and two mammal poachers, who had butchered a warthog.

The women who enter the park and other protected areas to obtain firewood are abundant and one has to ponder the sheer volume of wood that leaves the area of a period of one year. VFAPU managed to arrest 117 women in the last two months, whom were delivered to the Vic Falls Municipal Police for fining.

One alternative for these fuel seekers is a sawdust stove which a local furniture manufacturing company has developed.

It burns very efficiently and the sawdust is available for free. We are looking into sponsoring the production of these easy to build stoves, to donate to the poorest communities living on the park boundaries.

Anyone wishing to help with this project is invited to contact me anytime. VFAPU organised a demonstration of the sawdust stove.

Commercial mammal poaching around Victoria Falls

Apart from the arrests I have already mentioned, further successes were the darting and treating of a further two impala, three waterbuck, one buffalo and two warthogs. We located, removed and destroyed a total of 161 wire snares from the operational area surrounding Vic Falls.

One recent operation worth mentioning was the arrest of four men illegally trading in cat skins. An undercover bust recovered one lion, one leopard and one serval skin from these men who had no permit to sell these items. Their court case is now pending and we should be in court in the next few days.

Unfortunately, the tally of poached mammals discovered over the last few months leaves us all short of three waterbuck, two kudu, two warthog, one spotted hyena, six impala, one side-striped jackal, one female elephant, and one buffalo. These were all poached in and around Vic Falls.

The female elephant was caught by a multi-stranded snare( held by the scout), which was attached to her rear leg. It must have taken her some time to die, as she was unable to free herself.

The unit currently has thirteen scouts working seven days a week.

Some residents of Wood Road must be commended after providing funds in order to have one scout patrolling this area on a more permanent basis.

The union which controls the salaries scale of the scouts have advised me of a huge increment, so I appeal again to anyone who would like to assist us to please contact me.

A startling fact to note is that it is people from OUTSIDE Victoria Falls who are primarily keeping the unit in operation!! I welcome any comments from residents, please.

Thanks to those Victoria Falls individuals, companies and lodges that do contribute.

The fight goes on!!! Poachers beware!

Charles Brightman, Operations Coordinator

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