Zimbabwe: National Parks Dismisses Reports

17 May 2010

Harare — The National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe has dismissed private and online media reports politicising the export of certain wildlife species to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The authority is processing an application from the DPRK authority for elephants, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, spotted hyenas and rock dassies.

The animals are destined for a zoo in the DPRK.

"This is a pure business arrangement with no directive from Government.
"The DPRK is paying for the animals as well as meeting the capture and translocation costs," Parks director-general Mr Vitalis Chadenga said on Friday.

He said with the exception of elephants, the animals sought by the DPRK were not endangered species and not in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species appendices.
He explained that Zimbabwe's elephant population was on Appendix 2, which allowed for "trade in live animals to appropriate and acceptable destinations" as defined in a resolution concerning Botswana and Zimbabwe".

"Consistent with this resolution, Zimbabwe sent two scientific experts to DPRK for purposes of verifying the appropriateness of the destination," Mr Chadenga said.

He added: "We are satisfied that the recipients of the animals are suitably equipped to house and care for them."

Some media organisations last week claimed a Presidential decree had facilitated the deal.