Former poacher becomes Zimbabwe conservation advocate
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Transcript
00:00Hunting is all what Tambanetchaku Mastic knew in his community in Cheretzi.
00:06I grew up as a hunter.
00:12Before game rangers eventually caught up with me in the animal reserve, hunting was our way of life.
00:19He also grew maize, sorghum and cotton, and raised livestock in needy years,
00:25but turned to poaching when recurring droughts made farming less valuable.
00:30Then he was caught, spending nearly three months in jail,
00:33where a program aimed at turning poachers into conservationists changed his outlook.
00:43During my time in prison I learned many crafts, such as weaving and sculpting.
00:49I was enlightened during my time of imprisonment and realized that I could make a living without hunting.
00:56These days my main income comes from creating pieces of art which I sell to tourists.
01:03Since he was freed, Mastic has been urging his fellow villagers to rely on farming crops and raising livestock.
01:10Zimbabwe's authorities have also been working to tackle poaching in the country.
01:14But if you look at where we have the biggest concentration of our animals, the greater part of Wange National Park,
01:20we have not lost any single elephant over the last three, four years.
01:23Because we are now more visible in the area, we do more patrols.
01:27Even in areas like Cheretzi, the south-east of Gunaresho, we do a lot of awareness,
01:32we do a lot of patrols, we do a lot of law enforcement.
01:35What is more important is the resources to make sure that we are visible, we are around.
01:40We also do a lot of awareness with our community so that they appreciate the importance of wildlife.
01:47The results are promising, but Zimbabwe will still have to keep fighting to save its wildlife.
01:52Poaching has cost the country close to $8 million in recent years.