15/07/2026
Activist Questions Secrecy In Zimbabwe Wildlife Transfer To Equatorial Guinea
A local conservationist has raised concerns over the lack of transparency surrounding Zimbabwe’s decision to transfer wildlife to Equatorial Guinea.
This follows an announcement by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) that it is undertaking the capture and translocation of “a limited number of selected plains game species” under a government-to-government conservation cooperation agreement between Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea.
According to ZimParks, the programme is meant to support biodiversity conservation, strengthen wildlife management and help Equatorial Guinea restore wildlife populations in its protected areas.
However, animal rights activist Sharon Hoole told CITE that ZimParks’ statement leaves critical questions unanswered.
She has questioned why key details of the exercise have not been disclosed to the public or Parliament.
“There are no figures. There are no names of the species being moved. There is no indication of which national park or protected area these animals are being taken from,” said Hoole.
“They say the animals are being donated for scientific reasons, but what exactly does that mean?
“Who is paying for the capture, veterinary work, transport, aircraft, insurance, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) permits? These are legitimate public interest questions.”
She also questioned whether Parliament had been informed of the arrangement or whether environmental stakeholders had been consulted before the operation began.
Hoole argued that while governments have the right to enter into bilateral conservation agreements, the movement of Zimbabwe’s wildlife, considered national heritage and a public resource, should be accompanied by greater transparency.
