Hwange National Park’s eastern boundary, which stretches for over 220kms, is maintained with the co-operation of adjacent communities. CAMPFIRE Communities in Bulilima district from Point 222 at corner with Botswana, all the way northwards through Korodziba/Makona in Tsholotsho, connecting to the Ngamo Forest boundary, provide an important conservation buffer zone. Tsholotsho district was granted Appropriate Authority Status for the management of wildlife in 1991, and has 11 Wards that benefit from the CAMPFIRE Programme.

Although human and wildlife conflict is high, local communities have voluntarily maintained the buffer area between the park boundary and the area of human settlement from which they benefit from the sustainable utilization of wildlife under CAMPFIRE.

Tsholotsho district has two safari hunting areas: Tsholotsho North (170 000ha) and Tsholotsho South (240 000ha). Lodzi Hunters operates in the south, comprising Wards 1, 7, 8, 10, and 21, where the conservation of wildlife has made significant impact on the lives of people. Below we explain how this is possible for an area that hit local and international news headlines just over three years ago following the cruel poisoning of over 100 Elephants.

What most media reports missed about this first major poisoning incident in Zimbabwe is that in fact, it was Lodzi Hunters anti-poaching scouts, after only 4 months in the area that uncovered the catastrophe of the Cyanide poisoning. In the initial 8 months of its contract (April to December 2013) Lodzi Hunters conducted 120% of the anti-poaching logistics in the South Eastern section of Hwange National Park, in addition to the Tsholotsho South CAMPFIRE area. This effort also catalyzed and galvanized other support efforts and donations to the Park from the private sector e.g. Land Rovers for ranger patrols.

Lodzi Hunters have maintained a 10 man anti-poaching team in the area to this day, which has removed over 1 000 wire snares since 2013, and works closely with Parks anti-poaching patrol teams. No new snares have been found in the area in the past year, and this is testimony to the effectiveness of this anti-poaching effort.
 
Lodzi Hunters have maintained a 10 man anti-poaching team in the area to this day, which has removed over 1 000 wire snares since 2013, and works closely with Parks anti-poaching patrol teams. No new snares have been found in the area in the past year, and this is testimony to the effectiveness of this anti-poaching effort.

Plains game populations in the Tsholotsho South CAMPFIRE area are visibly recovering. There is now a pack of 10 Wild Dogs frequenting the area; these were never seen in this area since 1996. This is living proof that the plains game is on the increase, as Wild Dogs need prey to hunt. 

Lodzi Hunters won the tender to hunt in Tsholotsho south in 2013. Communities have their own bank accounts and receive cash from the operator under a “CASH DIRECT TO THE COMMUNITY” system. This is done so the community sees what an Elephant is worth to them, the owners of that Elephant.

The current annual quota in the Tsholotsho South CAMPFIRE concession has a Trophy Elephant quota of 12 to 14 animals. On average, 13 Elephants are hunted, and the community gets 60% of the income paid as Concession Fees and Trophy Fees. The remainder goes to Tsholotsho Rural District Council (36%) and CAMPFIRE Association (4%).

Tsholotsho district generates more from trophy Elephant sold to foreign hunting clients than any other CAMPFIRE area (i.e. includes hunting days, food and drinks, a Professional Hunter and 4x4 Vehicle and the trophy fee). Tsholotsho brings a huge amount of value to the Elephant as a trophy animal. The current trophy fee for a trophy Elephant bull is nearly USD 20 000.

However, district has also been affected by declining hunter arrivals due to negative perceptions about community benefits from wildlife, which animal welfare groups are using to petition key global markets for wildlife products, resulting in the imposition of bans on elephant and lion trophy imports, and even airline embargoes on trophies as means of banning hunting in general.

Tsholotsho South Hunting Concession Actual Income Distribution: 2013-2015

Lodzi Hunters are engaged in a massive, aggressive and beneficial community social responsibility programme. Over the past three and a half years, about half a million US dollars in direct cash has been spent on transport - for food (600 tons of maize), building supplies, river sand (500 tons), school children for sports and cultural events, and for the local community and the two local chiefs in general; water - drilling of boreholes and fixing and rehabilitating pumps and diesel engines, fixing and clearing out silted pans and broken dams; roads - construction of new and rehabilitating old roads; education - sponsoring school prize giving occasions, both for the event and actual prizes for pupils, sponsoring 16 pupils yearly school fees; food and drought relief - establishing grinding mills in the community, emergency livestock stock feed and baled grass to the local communities in the desperate drought month, water bowser delivery to areas where boreholes are temporarily out of action (sometimes 30 kilometers delivery distances); funeral assistance - assisting and paying for funeral costs of local community members; health – contributing to building of Rural Health Centers; and assisting with national events i.e. Independence Day, Heroes Day commemorations.  
 
Further, 90% of elephant meat is delivered from the average of 13 trophy Elephant direct to the local community throughout the 5 Wards (i.e. 23 000 kilograms of protein).
 
Lodzi Hunters also assists Hwange National Park, especially the South Eastern side of the Park, Makona and Josivanini area, and the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA) in general with their operations i.e. anti poaching patrols and logistics, transport, re-building of base stations, fuel, aerial reconnaissance and surveys, vehicle repairs and maintenance, and assisting with cleaning out silted pans within the Park.
 
Wildlife funded CAMPFIRE community projects in Tsholotsho District
 

Safari Operator Social contribution
Lodzi Hunters are engaged in a massive and beneficial community social responsibility programme. Over the past three and a half years, about half a million US dollars in direct cash has been spent on transport - for food (600 tons of maize), building supplies, river sand (500 tons), school children for sports and cultural events, and for the local community and the two local chiefs in general; water - drilling of boreholes and fixing and rehabilitating pumps and diesel engines, fixing and clearing out silted pans and broken dams; roads - construction of new and rehabilitating old roads; education - sponsoring school prize giving occasions, both for the event and actual prizes for pupils, sponsoring 16 pupils yearly school fees; food and drought relief - establishing grinding mills in the community, emergency livestock stock feed and baled grass to the local communities in the desperate drought month, water bowser delivery to areas where boreholes are temporarily out of action (sometimes 30 kilometers delivery distances); funeral assistance - assisting and paying for funeral costs of local community members; health – contributing to building of Rural Health Centers; and assisting with national events i.e. Independence Day, Heroes Day commemorations.   
 
Further, 90% of elephant meat is delivered from the average of 13 trophy Elephant direct to the local community throughout the 5 Wards (i.e. 23 000 kilograms of protein). Lodzi Hunters also assists Hwange National Park, especially the South Eastern side of the Park, Makona and Josivanini area, and the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA) in general with their operations i.e. anti poaching patrols and logistics, transport, re-building of base stations, fuel, aerial reconnaissance and surveys, vehicle repairs and maintenance, and assisting with cleaning out silted pans within the Park.
 
No new cases of cyanide poisoning have been recorded in Tsholotsho District this year. Anti-poaching awareness campaigns are regularly conducted. Communities have prioritized the construction of sub-offices for anti-poaching and problem animal control to service hot spot areas around Phelandaba and Mtshwayeli.

The result:

No new cases of cyanide poisoning have been recorded in Tsholotsho District this year. Anti-poaching awareness campaigns are regularly conducted.

Communities have prioritized the construction of sub-offices for anti-poaching and problem animal control to service hot spot areas around Phelandaba and Mtshwayeli.

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