Anti-Poaching in Zimbabwe: Wildlife Crime in 2026

Quick answer: Anti-poaching in Zimbabwe is a multi-layered effort involving the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), private and community conservancies, specialist anti-poaching units, conservation organisations and law-enforcement partners. Teams address bushmeat hunting, snaring, illegal wildlife trafficking and the organised trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn through patrols, intelligence, forensic work, community engagement and stronger prosecutions .

The country has recorded important conservation recoveries, particularly in black rhino protection, but those gains remain vulnerable. Zimbabwe’s black rhino population is reported at around 475 animals, while more than 750 rhinos have been poached in the country since 2000, according to the Society for Conservation Biology’s Africa section . The evidence points to a balanced conclusion: conservation interventions can work, but they require reliable funding, local support and consistent enforcement.

Last reviewed August 2026. Conservation data changes — see the cited sources for the latest figures.

Why anti-poaching matters in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe contains several important wildlife landscapes, including Hwange National Park, Mana Pools National Park, the Zambezi Valley, the Lowveld conservancies and the Victoria Falls area. These landscapes support elephants, rhinos, lions and a wide range of other species, while also connecting to neighbouring countries through the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) .

Wildlife crime is not limited to one species or one type of offender. Commercial bushmeat poaching involves the hunting and sale of wild animals for food, and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust describes the commercial trade as distinct from subsistence hunting by a family or individual . Snares can indiscriminately injure or kill animals, while higher-value trafficking networks target products such as ivory and rhino horn .

Zimbabwe’s rhino story shows both the scale of the threat and the potential of sustained protection. Poaching reduced the country’s black rhino population to 370 animals by 1993. After intensive anti-poaching efforts began in 1996, the population recovered to 435 and later reached around 475 . The Lowveld Rhino Trust, founded in 1991 and led by Raoul du Toit, has worked across private and communal land in southeastern Zimbabwe, supporting rhino protection, monitoring, reintroductions and landscape restoration .

That recovery is not a guarantee of safety. The same research reports that black and white rhinos continue to be targeted for the illegal wildlife trade and that Bubye Valley Conservancy has experienced increased poaching pressure in recent years . In 2025, the killing of Gomo, an old male black rhino at Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservancy, ended the facility’s nearly 20-year record of operating without a poaching incident .

The main wildlife-crime threats

Rhino poaching and trafficking

Rhino horn remains a driver of organised wildlife crime. The Congressional Research Service reports that rhinoceroses are poached for their horns, which are used in traditional medicine practices and as ornaments, and that African rhino poaching peaked in 2015 before declining through 2019 . Zimbabwe remains one of the countries where African rhino populations are concentrated, making long-term protection particularly important .

Rhino protection is also difficult because poachers can adapt to security measures. The Imire case shows that even a conservancy with anti-poaching rangers and a detection-dog unit can face attacks requiring additional security investment . This is why effective protection involves more than patrol numbers: it also requires intelligence, secure communications, investigations, evidence handling and prosecutions.

Elephant poaching and ivory trafficking

Elephants are a major conservation priority in Mana Pools and the Lower Zambezi Valley. The African Wildlife Foundation works with ZimParks and other partners in the Mana Pools landscape to strengthen ranger capacity, improve ecological monitoring and support a rapid-response capability . TRAFFIC’s KAZA programme likewise focuses on improving anti-poaching cooperation, surveillance, community participation and the investigation and prosecution of wildlife crime across national borders .

Cross-border coordination matters because wildlife crime does not stop at park boundaries. KAZA includes partners such as TRAFFIC, WWF, KAZA TFCA, EcoExist, the Namibia Nature Foundation and other conservation and law-enforcement organisations working to improve information gathering, enforcement and community stewardship .

Bushmeat hunting and snaring

Bushmeat hunting can affect many species at once, particularly where animals are caught in wire snares or removed for commercial sale. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust identifies confiscated weapons, bushmeat poaching and recovered snares among the threats addressed by its anti-poaching operations . In Hwange National Park, IFAW and its partner Wild is Life are involved in de-snaring work to protect wildlife .

Snaring is especially challenging because it can continue unnoticed between patrols and may injure animals that are not the intended target. Veterinary intervention can be time-critical: the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Zimbabwe-related reporting includes emergency responses to snared zebra and kudu .

Habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and climate pressure

Wildlife crime exists alongside wider land-use and livelihood pressures. The African Wildlife Foundation reports that Zimbabwe loses approximately 20% of natural forest annually through deforestation associated specifically with tobacco curing . It also identifies illegal settlements, wood traders and poachers around landscapes such as Mana Pools and the Chewore Safari Area as pressures that can reduce habitat in buffer zones and fragment wildlife corridors .

Human-wildlife conflict can weaken support for conservation when communities bear the costs of living near wildlife without receiving fair benefits. The KAZA wildlife-crime programme therefore includes community participation and incentives for people living in the region to benefit from wildlife stewardship . This is not an optional add-on: community relationships affect intelligence, tolerance, reporting and the legitimacy of law enforcement.

How Zimbabwe is responding to wildlife crime

Rangers, patrols and rapid response

Anti-poaching teams operate in difficult terrain and may require vehicles, communications equipment, rations, salaries, specialist training and rapid medical or veterinary support. In Mana Pools, the African Wildlife Foundation has supported a rapid-response unit, advanced ecological monitoring using CyberTracker and SMART, a full-time anti-poaching specialist and an upgraded digital radio system . The radio system is designed to provide secure, encrypted communication between Mana Pools rangers and the Zambezi Valley Reaction Unit .

The Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit, established in 1999, focuses on wildlife crime in and around Victoria Falls, where people and wildlife share a heavily visited landscape . Its work demonstrates why protection around tourism destinations is not simply a matter of guarding a remote national park; it also involves managing the interface between a growing town, surrounding habitat and wildlife movement.

Funding remains a practical constraint. The Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit states that donations support ranger salaries, equipment, vehicles and supplies for patrols in remote terrain . The conservation publication Patrol similarly reports that many African anti-poaching operations depend on a mix of government support, safari-hunting revenue, photographic tourism, donor grants and private trusts .

Forensics, intelligence and prosecutions

Arresting a suspected poacher is only one part of the enforcement chain. TRAFFIC’s KAZA work aims to improve wildlife-law awareness, investigations, prosecutions, penalties and sentences so that organised wildlife criminals face stronger deterrence . The International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime, whose partners include CITES, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Bank and the World Customs Organization, supports countries with tools, training and operational assistance across the criminal-justice chain .

Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust provides a Zimbabwe-based example of the forensic approach. Its counter-wildlife-crime programme combines forensic science, field investigations and partnerships with law-enforcement agencies. For 2024, the organisation reports 143 forensic samples, 66 animals saved and support for 29 investigations . These are programme-reported outputs rather than a complete national measure of wildlife-crime levels, so they should be read as evidence of activity, not proof that the country’s overall threat has been solved.

Community-led conservation

Akashinga, the International Anti-Poaching Foundation’s women-led conservation programme, was introduced in Zimbabwe in 2017. The model recruits and trains women from rural communities for wildlife protection and aims to provide an alternative to fortress-style conservation by linking employment and conservation benefits . Global Conservation reports that the programme had grown to more than 500 staff with a protection portfolio exceeding 9 million acres across four countries, while its published goal was to employ 1,000 women by 2026 and protect 30 million acres by the end of the decade .

These figures describe the programme’s wider portfolio, not Zimbabwe alone. The important lesson is the model’s emphasis on local employment, community participation and women’s leadership. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime notes that Akashinga gives women law-enforcement training while seeking to replace income associated with trophy hunting through direct employment and benefits from conservation areas .

Results and setbacks

Area	Evidence of progress	Remaining challenge
Black rhinos	The population recovered from 370 in 1993 to around 475 after intensive protection and landscape work .	More than 750 rhinos have been poached in Zimbabwe since 2000, and poaching pressure has risen in Bubye Valley Conservancy .
Hwange and wildlife rescue	IFAW and Wild is Life support de-snaring and the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery, established in 2012 to rescue and rehabilitate young elephants orphaned by poaching and conflict .	Snares remain an active threat, and rescue addresses individual casualties rather than the causes of commercial hunting .
Victoria Falls	Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust reports 143 forensic samples, 66 animals saved and 29 investigations supported in 2024 .	Wildlife crime remains an ongoing risk around the shared human-wildlife landscape, requiring continued patrol and law-enforcement support .
Mana Pools and the Zambezi Valley	Rapid response, SMART and CyberTracker monitoring, secure radios and ranger support strengthen operational capacity .	Deforestation, illegal settlements, corridor fragmentation and cross-border crime continue to affect the wider landscape .

Zimbabwe also benefits from long-term institutional commitments. IFAW and ZimParks signed a 25-year agreement in 2023, including a reported US$50 million commitment to wildlife conservation in Hwange National Park . Such commitments can improve continuity, but conservation success still depends on implementation, transparent management, local legitimacy and the ability to maintain protection through economic and climatic pressure.

Community and tourism’s role

Responsible tourism can help keep wildlife landscapes economically valuable while supporting the people and organisations that protect them. Tourism revenue may contribute through park fees, conservancy arrangements, lodge employment, local procurement, conservation levies and donations, although the exact distribution depends on the destination and operator. The research emphasises that anti-poaching operations commonly rely on photographic tourism alongside government funding, grants and private support .

Travellers visiting a wildlife safari park such as Hwange should recognise that a safari is taking place within a managed conservation landscape, not an untouched vacuum. A Hwange National Park walking safari may offer a closer understanding of ranger work and wildlife monitoring, but visitors must follow the guide’s instructions, remain with the group and never approach animals or patrol operations independently.

Safari tourism can also support conservation indirectly by creating demand for well-managed camps and guides. Travellers can compare Zimbabwe’s safari camps and ask operators how they contribute to local employment, conservation funds, anti-poaching programmes or community projects. Travellers can book conservation-supporting safaris on SafariFind, while checking the specific claims and beneficiary organisations provided by each operator.

How travellers can help responsibly

• Choose transparent operators. Ask whether your accommodation or safari company identifies its conservation partners, local employment policies and community benefits. Wildlife tourism should not rely on vague claims of “giving back.”
• Do not buy wildlife products. Avoid ivory, rhino horn, skins, bones and other products whose legal status or origin is unclear. Demand in destination markets is part of the wider trafficking problem .
• Respect ranger and wildlife-safety rules. Do not request off-road approaches, close encounters or information about sensitive locations. Secure communications and operational discretion are important components of effective protection .
• Support credible local organisations. Donations can help fund ranger salaries, patrol vehicles, equipment and supplies, including the needs identified by the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit .
• Report suspicious activity through the right channels. Visitors should tell their guide, lodge manager or relevant park authority rather than confronting suspected offenders.
• Value communities as conservation partners. Ask how tourism benefits people living near wildlife. Community stewardship and incentives are central to the KAZA approach .

What to remember about anti-poaching in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s conservation record is neither a simple success story nor a picture of failure. Black rhino numbers recovered after intensive protection, specialist organisations are improving de-snaring, forensics, monitoring and rapid response, and community-led models such as Akashinga are widening participation in conservation . At the same time, rhino poaching, bushmeat hunting, snares, habitat loss, underfunding and cross-border trafficking continue to threaten wildlife and the people who live alongside it .

The most durable response is therefore connected: capable rangers, reliable funding, secure technology, strong investigations, fair prosecutions, protected habitat, community benefits and responsible tourism. That combination gives a wildlife safari more meaning than a sighting list—it links the visitor economy to the long-term protection of Zimbabwe’s wildlife landscapes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main focus of anti-poaching in Zimbabwe in 2026?

The main focus is preventing bushmeat hunting, snaring, rhino and elephant poaching, and wildlife trafficking through patrols, intelligence, forensic investigations, community engagement and prosecutions .

How many black rhinos are left in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe has around 475 black rhinos according to the Society for Conservation Biology’s Africa section. The population was 370 in 1993 before intensive anti-poaching efforts helped it recover .

Is rhino poaching still a problem in Zimbabwe?

Yes. More than 750 rhinos have been poached in Zimbabwe since 2000, and increased poaching pressure has been reported in Bubye Valley Conservancy .

Which organisations combat wildlife crime in Zimbabwe?

Key organisations named in the research include ZimParks, Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit, Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, IFAW, Wild is Life, the Lowveld Rhino Trust, the International Anti-Poaching Foundation and the African Wildlife Foundation .

What is Akashinga in Zimbabwe?

Akashinga is a women-led conservation and anti-poaching programme established in Zimbabwe by the International Anti-Poaching Foundation in 2017. It combines law-enforcement training with rural employment and community-focused conservation .

How does technology support anti-poaching in Zimbabwe?

Technology supports ranger coordination, ecological monitoring and investigations. Examples include SMART and CyberTracker monitoring in Mana Pools and upgraded encrypted digital radios linking rangers with the Zambezi Valley Reaction Unit .

Does tourism help anti-poaching efforts in Zimbabwe?

Tourism can help by generating conservation revenue, employment, local procurement and support for organisations, although the benefits vary by destination and operator. Photographic tourism is one of several funding sources used by anti-poaching operations .

What is the biggest wildlife-crime threat in Zimbabwe?

There is no single threat across every landscape. Rhino and elephant trafficking, commercial bushmeat hunting, snaring, habitat loss and cross-border crime all contribute to pressure on Zimbabwe’s wildlife .

How can visitors support conservation in Zimbabwe?

Visitors can choose transparent operators, avoid wildlife products, follow ranger instructions, support credible local organisations and ask how tourism benefits nearby communities. Donations can help fund ranger salaries, vehicles, equipment and patrol supplies .

Is it safe to go on a wildlife safari in Zimbabwe?

Safari safety depends on the destination, conditions and operator. Visitors should follow their professional guide’s instructions, remain with the group and never approach wildlife or interfere with anti-poaching operations.