Road Kill Escalating !

ROAD KILL ESCALATING !!! -  UPDATE 5/5/17

REMEMBER: When Driving or walking,

Animals always have the right of way !!!!

Trust Details At Bottom Of Email

We are going to continue with these UGLY updates in the hopes they will hit home.

If you see any animals hit or killed on the road between Makuti and Kariba, Please send us photos if you are able.

AWARENESS

Whilst it is appreciated that accidents do happen, we do believe and also have confirmed from some spectators who reported, that most of the time it is due to –

-      Careless, selfish driving

-      Speeding

-      People just not concentrating/paying attention to the road and road sides

We do daily snares sweeps which besides taking up our voluntary time, only happens due to the generous support from donors. Resources that are donated and so carefully looked after to ensure that we get the most and best out of them to safe guard our wildlife from poaching.

PLEASE DRIVERS do your bit and drive responsibly !!! Respect both Human and Wild life.

Although Poaching is the main cause of decline or stagnate herd etc. numbers, road kill,  just in and around our little town in the past few weeks has overtaken poaching and this is just what we know of and have seen ourselves. 

There is plenty more between Kariba and Makuti that is not seen or reported.

Whilst we appreciate that there has been a lot more heavy traffic the past year or so, it is all sizes of vehicles that are killing our wildlife. >From Sedans through to Buses and heavy transport trucks.

The grass on both sides of the road has been cut from here to Makuti as advised in a previous update – so fairly easy to see animals if one is paying attention and driving responsibly.

Every single animal plays a part in the balance of nature and our eco systems and are therefore important and vital to the whole landscape and the very air that we breathe.

Over a + - 2 week period:

Bush Buck. One of our resident, young boys  that has dodged snares and survived due to continual snare sweeps, only to be taken out one evening over the Easter weekend near the Caribbea bay bus stop. Bush Buck move around both day and night.

Pay attention people!!, slow down!! , dip your lights if at night, so the animal can unfreeze itself from fright and move off the road.

In February this year, this boy Mr Bones, was given intensive treatment and rehabilitated over 2 weeks to be released back into his home area in the hopes to continue growing the clan. He survived + - 8 weeks of not being able to eat or drink because of the wire snare lodged through his mouth and around his neck.

So after saving Mr Bones we were pretty devastated when Parks contacted us regarding the below impressive relative of Mr Bones.

Hyena, Taken out on a straight piece of road just after Batonga turn off, Thursday night 20/4.  A very handsome and large animal. To add insult, a passerby, or perhaps the culprit driver chopped off his nose to take for muti!!

There was also another report of a young Hyena, also hit by a vehicle near the NAU turn off.

   

2^nd Baboon, in as many weeks.

Slow down, HOOT !! that is what your hooter is for. Baboons normally make a move off the road when you hoot like mad.

In the last week

Civit, same area as Hyena mentioned above recently –  

Nocturnal animal -  We see many of these on the road side, hit by vehicles at night as that is when they move around hunting for food.

  Porcupine   - The remains of a Porcupine on the main road just after the Mahombekombe Turn off Thursday 4/5/17.

Quills spread out for along the side of road for 40mtrs

So probably would have been one of these little guys grown up from April 2016, or their Ma or Pa as these were photographed in the same area, last year, same time of year. Hope there are no little ones waiting for the Mother to come home.

 

Mongoose  - we are seeing a minimum of 1 carcass per week on the roads around Kariba and these little guys normally only move in the day – so again.

These little family groups are close knit and often run across the roads as they forage their areas. 

Often seen moving their tiny little babies/pups to a new burrow and run back and forth across the road carrying their little ones. All the mongooses help care for them.

If you are fortunate enough to see this, STOP, on the side of the road with your hazard lights on, and watch quietly.

We have had so many animals hit by vehicles between Kariba and Makuti and if not instantly dead, left to die an agonizing death – because people do not slow down on corners or rises etc.

Zebra colts and adults

Elephants – calves and adults

Water buck

Kudu

Lion

The list goes on and on.

Pay attention people !!, slow down !! , at night - dip your lights so the animal can unfreeze itself from fright and move off the road.

If it is a herd of Buffalo or Elephant, pride of Lion, show some respect !! hang back and let them pass, don’t hoot or rev your engine. Keep quite – sit back and enjoy the privilege you are having.

YOU are very fortunate to experience these touches with Nature. Let’s make sure your children and grand children also have the privilege of experiencing the same.

THANK YOU ….

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals Mahatma Ghandi

PLEASE REPORT BURNING OR CHOPPING OF TREES . DOMESTIC HUNTING DOGS, INTIMIDATION AND ILL TREATING OF WILDLIFE AS  WELL AS ILLEGAL SAND & STONE REMOVAL, TO THE ABOVE KAWFT AND BELOW PARKS AUTHORITY NUMBERS

PARKS & WILDLIFE

ZIMPARKS AREA MANAGER  -  Mr D Sithole – 0775 971 799  

ZIMPARKS SENIOR RANGER – Nicholas - 0772 762 500

Toll free - ZIMPARKS AREA MANAGER -  Mr D Sithole - 0738 813 441

MUNICIPAL SECURITY – for Municipal areas

MUNICIPAL SECURITY OFFICER – Mr Nyamapfeka  0773 920 726

For any donations, help offer, more info, or information on injured animals or incidents with Wildlife please contact below

kawf2011@gmail.com

Phone numbers

Sonya Mc Master  0772 874 352 – KARIBA

Debbie Ottman  0773 996 487- KARIBA

Kariba Dangerous Drugs Licence Wildlife Darter

Carl Nicholson 0773 279 746 – KARIBA

WHATSAPP  NUMBERS -for photos or messages

Debbie Ottman 0784 512 921

Sonya Mc Master 0778 733 784

Tracey Bruk-Jackson – Harare representative  

(contact for donation drop offs etc.)

Whats app 0771 567 032

Phone number 0712 205 384

FACE BOOK -  https://www.facebook.com/KaribaAnimalWelfareFundTrustKariba/

DONATION PAYMENT OPTIONS

www.paynow.co.zw/kawft

ECO CASH REGISTERED NUMBERS for donations below

Sonya Mc Master (Registered Name – Stroebel) 0772 874 352

Debbie Ottman  0773 996 487

CABS PAYMENTS:

CABS KARIBA

ACC NAME – KARIBA ANIMAL WELFARE FUND TRUST

ACC No: 100 265 7636