SERVAL Wld Cat killed by poacher on Friday, June 15th, Mozambique

2007-06-20T10:53:52+02:00

SERVAL killed by poacher in Mozambique on Friday 15th June 1pm Matutuine district
joana j sebastiao
to wwfmoz
More options 10:23 am (6 minutes ago)
I am sorry to write in English to you fellow Mozambicans when I should
be using the official language, Portuguese.
I am writing in English because you are working for a large, powerful,
international organization and because this way you can forward this
e-mail to others outside the country.

I have to ask you in the first place what exactly is your work in Mozambique?
What in a very concrete way, do you do to better the destiny of plants
and animals in this southern part of the country at this point in
time?

In Matutuine district poaching and illegal hunting is an everyday
occurrence committed openly with TOTAL IMPUNITY. Everywhere people
use wire lace traps which are forbidden by law under any
circumstances.

Why is WWF not active in this district? Why does WWF not promote anti
poaching campaigns in the district? Why does WWF not give training
courses and regular seminars to strengthen the local Régulos´s
authority (from Cabo Sta. Maria to Ponta do Ouro) in combating
hunting in the Maputo Elephant Reserve, in the transnational park
area, in the lakes, in all that area of quickly disappearing
biodiversity?
Local public officials and police hunt inside and around the Elephant Reserve.
Public servants hunt with guns even inside private properties and
supply other state employees with meat.
Authorities claim they never get any instructions from Maputo to
actively stop the ongoing slaughter nor are they given any means,
incentives or training to do so.
People say quite frankly they prefer living from trapped game than
having the trouble to do agriculture which, they have told me
directly, gives less money and takes more effort and time. Shouldnt
WWF be doing something to educate the communities?

Monkeys are hunted almost daily with shotguns and the meat sold to
supply certain restaurants in Durban, SA. Monkeys get killed then the
meat is dried in front of everyone including the police and all other
authorities then taken illegally accross the border.Do the SA health
authorities controlling foof supplies know about this?

Wire lace traps are EVERYWHERE from the Reserve near Salamanga to the
outskirts of Ponta do Ouro and particularly around Zitundo and Mamoli.
Illegal "queimadas" happen daily in these same areas, two weeks ago
large parts of the Reserve forest and about 10 other different areas
all the way to Ponta do Ouro were burnt and trees and vegetation burnt
and habitats destroyed.
In the PUZI informal border post there is a large market of poached
meat for sale, sometimes with 2.000 slaughtered animals for sale in
one single day (which is why all types of gazelle are disappearing
from the district). Every thursday and Saturday there is this large
market for poached meat in or near PUZI (MUZI) control post (not the
border to Manguze).
They hide under thick trees and sell the meat from poached animals to
South Africans who cannot get game meat in the same way nor in such
quantities and prices in their country because there the police acts
while on this side brothers and sisters, the police EAT!
One woman
told me that mozambican border officials all buy their meat from this
illegal trade every week.
Shouldn't the health authorities in South Africa be warned about this market??? Do they know how the game dishes come to be in their restaurants?

The young SERVAL was first trapped in a wire lace trap then shot in
the head with a rifle. The SERVAL as you well know I am sure, is
protected by Mozambican law and cannot even be hunted in "coutadas".
The fine for killing a SERVAL cat is 5.000 meticais.
Shouldnt WWF be promoting local anti poaching campaigns by informing
people and the Régulos about the fines and other aspects of the
existing law?

Kindly let me know exactly what is your response to situations such as
these right here so near to the capital???

I have a blog and I know many, MANY, people who are in Matutuine, I have
friends who go there every weekend from Maputo, others who live in Bela Vista or Ponta do Ouro, some who send me information from
Ponta do Ouro or SA where they live, both South Africans and Mozambican
people send me information, photos, etc.

We have decided that I write about things which all of them at one time or another discuss with me but noone will ever sse my face!

WWF should make serious, I mean VERY SERIOUS, in depth investigations
on the ground. Campaign, put pressure on district government and in
maputo, fund new nature projects,find ways to effectively stop
poaching and wire traps in Matutine within a short target dateline!

HELP SAVE OUR LAND!

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SERVAL Wld Cat killed by poacher on Friday, June 15th, Mozambique