By Beatifc Gumbwanda
A suspected team of professional poachers recently brutalized and dehorned an eight-year-old rhino, Michele 2095, in Save Valley Conservancy.
The poachers reportedly used a silenced rifle, and a single .458 bullet head was recovered from the carcass.
This incident highlights the ongoing threat of poaching in the conservancy, where elephants and rhinos are targeted for their tusks and horns.
Efforts by TellZim News to get a comment from Parks and Wildlife Head of Public Relations Officer, Tinashe Farawo were futile as he did not respond to questions sent through to his email.
However, according to the Save Valley Rhino Poaching Incident Report, the conservancy’s K9 department detected a poacher’s spoor on top of a rhino’s spoor before discovering Michele’s carcass.
“On August 2, 2025, at around 7:30 am, K9 call sign K4 was on a routine morning K9 detection when his dog, Justice, picked up poacher spoor on top of rhino spoor. They tracked it to find a fresh rhino carcass identified as an eight-year-old black female rhino called Michele (2095),” reads the report.
The poacher’s professionalism is evident in the single shot used to kill the rhino, which was not heard due to the silenced rifle.
The conservancy tracked the poachers to the main road in Mkwasine, where their tracks were lost, suggesting they were uplifted by a vehicle indicating a well-coordinated operation, potentially involving multiple individuals and vehicles.
Save Valley Conservancy has gathered vital intelligence on the poachers’ modus operandi and route. Efforts are being made in collaboration with the appropriate authorities to address the issue.
The conservancy has been plagued by poaching incidents, with no arrests reported, fueling rumors that some poachers were well-connected. The lack of accountability has raised concerns about the effectiveness of law enforcement and the potential involvement of insiders.
The conservancy maintains a highly trained Special Species Protection Unit (SSPU) of over 30 rangers, funded by donor organizations such as the Save African Rhino Foundation, African Wildlife Foundation, and Tusk.
The SSPU operates independently and in conjunction with ranch scouts to combat the poaching threat. Despite these efforts, poaching remains a significant challenge, and the conservancy continues to work with authorities to prevent further incidents and bring perpetrators to justice.
