Save Mana Pools

Mana Pools National Park and its adjoining safari areas form a wildlife conservation area in Zimbabwe on the flood plain of the wide Zambezi. It is a wild corner of Africa. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has survived a bush war and averted threats such as large-scale agriculture, mining and hydro-electric schemes. But when nation-states fail, so do their national parks agencies. The Zimbabwean meltdown is perhaps the greatest and potentially catastrophic threat that this icon of African conservation has faced.

In the July edition of Africa Geographic, Dick Pitman, a long-time Zimbabwean conservationist tells the tale of how Mana Pools’ integrity is being undermined as park staff struggle to survive, let alone discharge their conservation duties. It is at times like these that the unscrupulous, be they hunting operators, ruthless developers, politicians or poaching syndicates seize the opportunities to rape the land for their own short-term benefit.

Zimbabwe has no shortage of committed, brave people dedicated to saving its natural heritage, but they need help and support. Pitman points out the sheer-wrongheadedness of boycotting travel to this beautiful country because of the idiocy and megalomania of some of its politicians. The poor people, wildlife and whole ecosystems will be, and are, swept away while the so-called targets of sanctions and boycotts remain comfortably ensconced in their mansions and lionised by their peers in other African countries. ecoAfrica has raised the ethics of this issue before.

So how does one help save Mana Pools? Go there. Its tourism infrastructure may be a shade tatty, but the wildlife experience is fantastic and the people are humble and friendly. The people and the wildlife deserve your support.