Zimbabwe’s conservation efforts are set to receive a major boost following the announcement of a €1 million grant aimed at enhancing habitat and wildlife protection in the Hwange-Matetsi-Zambezi landscape.
In a statement, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said the contribution from the Postcode Lottery is earmarked to strengthen ongoing rescue and conservation work it is carrying out with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) in and around the vast 14 600 km² Hwange National Park.
Hwange National Park is home to more than 45 000 African savannah elephants.
“The investment will, among other things, support wildlife rescue efforts, enhance ranger capacity, and secure critical wildlife migration routes,” IFAW said.
IFAW has been working collaboratively with ZimParks and local communities under the Room to Roam initiative to secure the Hwange–Matetsi–Zambezi ecosystem — one of Southern Africa’s most important conservation landscapes — since 2019.
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“Over the past six years, the IFAW-ZimParks partnership has managed to tackle some of the pressing conservation challenges in and around Hwange, and with this contribution from the Postcode Lottery we can expand our work and continue building a future in which people and nature can live safely alongside one another,” said IFAW Zimbabwe country director Alleta Nyahuye.
“Thanks in part to our participants, IFAW can continue and strengthen this important work in Zimbabwe,” said Postcode Lottery managing director Jonne Arnoldussen. “Together, we are contributing to a world in which people and nature can live in balance.”
ZimParks director-general Edson Gandiwa said: “We are grateful to our partners for this support, which we believe will help us safeguard our treasured wildlife resources and build resilience for wildlife, habitats and the people coexisting with wildlife in the greater Hwange ecosystem, in line with Zimbabwe’s national development agenda.”
IFAW is a global non-profit organisation that helps animals and people thrive together, with experts working across land and sea in more than 40 countries every day.
The organisation rescues, rehabilitates and releases animals, while restoring and protecting their natural habitats.
“The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action.
“We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish.”
